After tooth surgery, cat is not the same. I am scared.

I did a search but realized it was going to take so long and i feel
like i urgently need someone's advice or help about this, so i'm just
writing it all now. I am sorry about that.

Before i go into what is happening, here is some background info:

My cat, Madeleine, is fourteen years old and has always been very
healthy. She started to have some kind of strange allergy problem
about a year ago, so once in a while, she'll go into the vet for a
cortisone shot.

She got sick recently, with a cold, where she was sneezing and
coughing, with a runny nose. The vet gave us antibiotics and she
seemed to get better.

I also have to emphasize that, even when she had the cold, she was
still very lively. She's always running around and she likes to catch
those fuzzy cloth hair bands. Even though she's considered and "old"
cat, she has remained healthy and happy.

We took her in again and the vet said that her teeth not only needed
cleaning but that some really needed to be removed as they could
threaten her health.

So, the other day, she had the cleaning and teeth removed. They used
the gas anesthesia, i wouldn't go to a vet that used the injectible
stuff, after a bad experience i had some years ago.

Anyway, she hasn't been the same since. I expected her to be out of
it for a little while, what with the surgery and pain relievers and
everything. But wouldn't eat.

Then, one day, she gobbled up a little dish of cat food and i was very
happy and she seemed better. Bu the next day, she wouldn't eat again,
and she was falling over. She seems to be very weak.

Yesterday, we took her in again and the vet used an IV to give her
fluids and nutrients all day, and he also force fed her. Last night,
she ate some food that the vet gave us on her own but she was still
very weak. I thought it would be a good idea to walk her down the
hall, just so she could maybe start to get her strength back. I took
her to the end of it and she walked back on her own but stumbled a
bit.

But today, she won't eat again. And she can barely walk or stand up.
I've helped walk her down the hall a couple of times today, and she is
managing to use some strength, but something is wrong. It is as if
she's lost her coordination. I just force fed her a little while ago
and now i have her with me in my bed, where she always sleeps.

She is purring but i know that purring doesn't always mean a cat is
content, it could mean she is in pain. She looks like she's quivering
a bit. I've got her wrapped in blankets. She seems so spacey and
different.

After the surgery, which was supposed to make her healthier, she's
worse than ever. I am really scared. Another thing that is worrying
me is that she doesn't seem to have defacated or urinated since the
surgery.

Like i said before, even when she was sick she was very vivacious and
lively. Very energetic.

What could have happened? Has anyone else experienced this? Does
anyone know what could be happening and what i can do?

I love her so much and i can't stand to see her going through this.
I'm determined to nurse her back to health, and am doing what the vet
said, but it doesn't seem to be enough.

I'm just scared and hope someone can offer some advice.

Thanks.

I forgot to add that we stopped give her the pain meds, as the vet
instructed. So that's not what's making her spacey.

I'm really sorry to hear about your cat. I know you must be very
upset and concerned. It sounds to me like a second opinion from a
different vet, and preferably one at another clinic, might be a good
idea if she's not back to normal by tomorrow I'd say. How many days
has it been exactly since her surgery?

On Jan 27, 1:44 pm, "PawsForThought" wrote:
I'm really sorry to hear about your cat. I know you must be very
upset and concerned. It sounds to me like a second opinion from a
different vet, and preferably one at another clinic, might be a good
idea if she's not back to normal by tomorrow I'd say. How many days
has it been exactly since her surgery?

Thanks so much for your reply. She had the surgery Monday of this
week, the 22nd.

I'm so sorry you and your cat are going through this.

You know, her cold might have been infected teeth. Our cat's runny eye
and stopped-up nose cleared up completely after his bad teeth were removed.

Something is wrong with your kitty, and I think I would get another
vet's opinion too. Since it's Saturday, I'd be tempted to get her into
an emergency clinic instead of waiting until Monday. Is there an
emergency clinic with a good reputation, one that might be able to help
with the diagnosis?

An internist vet would be helpful, but you usually need a referral to
get into them and I think your situation sounds more urgent.

I wonder if she had a little blood clot or stroke during her procedure.

You sound like a great cat-mom and I know you will do what you can to
help her.

Let us know how she's doing,

Rhonda

Lump wrote:
I did a search but realized it was going to take so long and i feel
like i urgently need someone's advice or help about this, so i'm just
writing it all now. I am sorry about that.

Before i go into what is happening, here is some background info:

My cat, Madeleine, is fourteen years old and has always been very
healthy. She started to have some kind of strange allergy problem
about a year ago, so once in a while, she'll go into the vet for a
cortisone shot.

She got sick recently, with a cold, where she was sneezing and
coughing, with a runny nose. The vet gave us antibiotics and she
seemed to get better.

I also have to emphasize that, even when she had the cold, she was
still very lively. She's always running around and she likes to catch
those fuzzy cloth hair bands. Even though she's considered and "old"
cat, she has remained healthy and happy.

We took her in again and the vet said that her teeth not only needed
cleaning but that some really needed to be removed as they could
threaten her health.

So, the other day, she had the cleaning and teeth removed. They used
the gas anesthesia, i wouldn't go to a vet that used the injectible
stuff, after a bad experience i had some years ago.

Anyway, she hasn't been the same since. I expected her to be out of
it for a little while, what with the surgery and pain relievers and
everything. But wouldn't eat.

Then, one day, she gobbled up a little dish of cat food and i was very
happy and she seemed better. Bu the next day, she wouldn't eat again,
and she was falling over. She seems to be very weak.

Yesterday, we took her in again and the vet used an IV to give her
fluids and nutrients all day, and he also force fed her. Last night,
she ate some food that the vet gave us on her own but she was still
very weak. I thought it would be a good idea to walk her down the
hall, just so she could maybe start to get her strength back. I took
her to the end of it and she walked back on her own but stumbled a
bit.

But today, she won't eat again. And she can barely walk or stand up.
I've helped walk her down the hall a couple of times today, and she is
managing to use some strength, but something is wrong. It is as if
she's lost her coordination. I just force fed her a little while ago
and now i have her with me in my bed, where she always sleeps.

She is purring but i know that purring doesn't always mean a cat is
content, it could mean she is in pain. She looks like she's quivering
a bit. I've got her wrapped in blankets. She seems so spacey and
different.

After the surgery, which was supposed to make her healthier, she's
worse than ever. I am really scared. Another thing that is worrying
me is that she doesn't seem to have defacated or urinated since the
surgery.

Like i said before, even when she was sick she was very vivacious and
lively. Very energetic.

What could have happened? Has anyone else experienced this? Does
anyone know what could be happening and what i can do?

I love her so much and i can't stand to see her going through this.
I'm determined to nurse her back to health, and am doing what the vet
said, but it doesn't seem to be enough.

I'm just scared and hope someone can offer some advice.

Thanks.

"Lump" wrote

I'm just scared and hope someone can offer some advice.


I also think she should see a different vet. My heart goes out to
you. I am afraid to have my cats under anesthesia due to stories
like yours. I hope this is only temporary, maybe a reaction to the
anesthesia.

on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:53:47 GMT, "Lump" wrote:

Thanks so much for your reply. She had the surgery Monday of this
week, the 22nd.

Did your vet do pre-anesthesia bloodwork?

I agree you need a second opinion, and I strongly suggest you take her to
an emergency vet hospital.

I hope she will be okay!!

--
Lynne

"Lynne" wrote in message
m...
on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 21:53:47 GMT, "Lump" wrote:

Thanks so much for your reply. She had the surgery Monday of this
week, the 22nd.

Did your vet do pre-anesthesia bloodwork?

I agree you need a second opinion, and I strongly suggest you take her to
an emergency vet hospital.

I hope she will be okay!!

--
Lynne

That's good advice -- both the advice of a second opinion and the suggestion
to take her to an emergency vet hospital. I would not want to wait until
Monday on this!

MaryL

Well, i took her to an emergency clinic in the next town, as there's
not one here.

Thank you all so much for your advice, by the way. You are all very
kind.

Yes, our vet did the bloodwork before the surgery and then did a more
blood work after, when she was having trouble. I really do trust him,
although i am very upset about Madeleine. But he is always very
thorough and good with the animals.

To make a long story short, the veterinarian at the emergency clinic
really couldn't do much. She didn't make any diagnosis, except that
Madeleine was dehydrated. We asked her all sorts of questions, but i
didn't feel like there were any solid answers. One thing she said
that kind of bothered me was that perhaps "it was just her time," and
that she doubted the surgery had anything to do with it. But it's
hard for me to believe that, when she was so healthy, lively and happy
before the surgery. I am not blaming the vet or anything, things can
go wrong no matter how careful a person is and i know there's always a
risk with anesthesia. it's just that it is very obvious to me that
something serious has happened this week, sometime after the surgery.
Madsie didn't just coincidentally and suddenly reach "her time," i
mean, i suppose it's possible but i have a very hard time believing
it. Before Monday, she was frisky as could be. Now she can't walk at
all. However, she seems more aware and less spacey tonight than she
did today.

Anyway, the options were either to leave her at the emergency clinic
overnight on an IV (just like she was on all day yesterday) or give
her water shots under the skin. Although she said the IV was the
better option, she also said there was no guarantee that it would
prevent Madeleine from dying. I opted for the shots under the skin
and to take her home. I just couldn't leave her there on her own,
overnight, she has already been traumatized by the visits to the vet
and everything. If she's going to die, i'd rather have it be here
beside me, where she is comfortable, than there, where i know she will
be scared.

But i have a lot of hope that i can get her through this.

My sister had a cat that, one day, became completely paralyzed, out of
the blue. He couldn't move at all, not one bit. She took him to the
vet and they recommended putting him to sleep, but she just couldn't
do at that time, she felt like she needed to take him home and think
about it. Well, that weekend she noticed he could move a little, and
pretty soon he was walking around like normal. He lived at least four
years after that, perfectly fine.

So, i am going to take care of Madeleine as best i can. I am going to
do everything possible for her, except let her die alone. She is
bundled up beside me right now, and purring whenever i pet her, as she
usually does.

Thank you again, all of you, for your help and kindness.

"Lump" wrote

One thing she said
that kind of bothered me was that perhaps "it was just her time," and
that she doubted the surgery had anything to do with it.

Oh, grrrrr ... Horse hockey. What an idiot.

But it's
hard for me to believe that, when she was so healthy, lively and happy
before the surgery. I am not blaming the vet or anything, things can
go wrong no matter how careful a person is and i know there's always a
risk with anesthesia. it's just that it is very obvious to me that
something serious has happened this week, sometime after the surgery.

Of course.


Madsie didn't just coincidentally and suddenly reach "her time," i
mean, i suppose it's possible but i have a very hard time believing
it. Before Monday, she was frisky as could be. Now she can't walk at
all. However, she seems more aware and less spacey tonight than she
did today.

Well that is good, anyway. Maybe she just needs some time to get back
to normal. I really, really hope so.


Anyway, the options were either to leave her at the emergency clinic
overnight on an IV (just like she was on all day yesterday) or give
her water shots under the skin. Although she said the IV was the
better option, she also said there was no guarantee that it would
prevent Madeleine from dying. I opted for the shots under the skin
and to take her home. I just couldn't leave her there on her own,
overnight, she has already been traumatized by the visits to the vet
and everything. If she's going to die, i'd rather have it be here
beside me, where she is comfortable, than there, where i know she will
be scared.

I would have done the same thing. Plus, this idiot emergency vet's comments
did not exactly inspire confidence in her.


But i have a lot of hope that i can get her through this.

My sister had a cat that, one day, became completely paralyzed, out of
the blue. He couldn't move at all, not one bit. She took him to the
vet and they recommended putting him to sleep, but she just couldn't
do at that time, she felt like she needed to take him home and think
about it. Well, that weekend she noticed he could move a little, and
pretty soon he was walking around like normal. He lived at least four
years after that, perfectly fine.

So, i am going to take care of Madeleine as best i can. I am going to
do everything possible for her, except let her die alone. She is
bundled up beside me right now, and purring whenever i pet her, as she
usually does.

Thank you again, all of you, for your help and kindness.


I'll keep you both in my prayers.