Saddest thing I ever saw - Paw Talk

Chinchilla_Girl · #1 02-28-2005, 08:46 PM

I witnessed the most heartbreaking thing today...

A woman came into the clinic at 7:30AM this morning with her cat. She said he was lethargic, no appetite, and cried constantly. She said he was seizing on and off. All this had been going on since Saturday morning and they didn't do a thing about it till this morning.

Anyway, he was in pretty bad shape but the seizing didn't look like seizures to me. To my untrained eye, it looked more like a neurological issue. First thing Dr. did was call the owner and told her he was in bad shape and she would need to put $150 down before he could do anything as it would probably end up pretty costly. She came in, put the money down, and we haven't seen or heard from her since. She is not answering her home or cell phone and neither is her roommate.

Dr ran a battery of tests on him, most of which we won't get the results back for a little while. He didn't seem to have been poisoned either. We called her regular vet for his vaccination history and found out he was due back in September 03 for his rabies! He was also an indoor/outdoor cat.

He spent most of the day in the oxygen cage due to having breathing problems, but it didn't seem to do any good. I don't know what all Dr did to him, but I know he was totally confused until one of the vet techs reminded him the cat was overdue for the rabies vacc and he was indoor/outdoor. Going over his symptoms again, it looks like he was in the last stage of having rabies. Since the owner couldn't be contacted, we couldn't euthanize him.

At 6PM when I checked on him there was no change. He was totally out of it. Dr. told Cesea to give him a shot of Torb for the night as he was in tremendous pain. As Cesea prepared the syring, the kitty took his last breath and left us

It was awful! He spent all weekend in such pain and misery and the stupid owner did nothing about it! Not to mention that if he did have rabies, it all could have been easily prevented! The kitty was only 4 years old.

Tomorrow probably won't be much better for any of us at the clinic. He's being refridgerated at the moment, and will be decapitated tomorrow and sent off for testing. Although he didn't bite any of us at the clinic, there is no way to know if he bit anyone else or any other animals. The owner will not answer her phone. Just a few weeks ago in the news, another cat was found with rabies in our county. It's better to have him tested and be safe, rather than sorry.

Please everyone, check your pets records and keep up on their vaccinations. Rabies isn't only dangerous, but one of the saddest ways to die.

RIP Oliver, I didn't know you long, but you sure were beautiful!

*fstybrat* · #2 02-28-2005, 08:55 PM

**Sasami** · #3 02-28-2005, 09:22 PM

That's so sad...

Chrisanne · #4 02-28-2005, 10:35 PM

That is soo sad. Poor kitty

jmb9101 · #5 02-28-2005, 10:57 PM

Thats horrible...

Crazy Chin Lady · #6 02-28-2005, 11:24 PM

How could she just let her baby kitty pass away like that? She should have done something sooner! That poor kitty.

***Jade*** · #7 02-28-2005, 11:27 PM

Oh I'll never understand people. How utterly horrible for that cat.

I sincerely hope that cat didn't bite that family this weekend. You guys seriously ought to think about sending a certified letter to them or sending the police over or something ASAP - if they were bitten and he's positive, they need post-exposure series shots right now.

Chinchilla_Girl · #8 03-01-2005, 10:50 AM

Doc was working on that this morning, Stephanie. He was decapitated while I was out walking dogs (thank goodness). One of the receptionists is thinking of calling the owner using her cell phone. We think because the clinic shows up on caller ID, that is why she won't answer. Unfortunetly, the police can't do anything because the cat hasn't been tested yet. Chances are, I'll be the lucky one to deliever the head to the health department. They no longer do pick ups anymore

Millimi · #9 03-01-2005, 11:51 AM

Poor kitty...

Amethystbelle · #10 03-01-2005, 11:59 AM

Omg thats a truely awful story

how people can let animals suffer like that i will never know

Eli · #11 03-01-2005, 12:58 PM

poor kitty!!!!!

Padfoot · #12 03-01-2005, 01:03 PM

That's horrible! I agree, rabies has to be one of the most horrible ways to die. 8( I think it's 7-10 days from when the virus reaches the salivary glands to the time that it starts showing signs, right? So the cat had all that time to bite someone and infect. 8(

Purplebunny · #13 03-01-2005, 07:19 PM

Oh my! Poor kitty.. The owner should be taken to court for causing unnecessary suffering to him, or at least held responsible for his death...

jules_77 · #14 03-01-2005, 07:31 PM

lixx · #15 03-01-2005, 07:55 PM

The poor thing! But aren't the rabies vaccine's good for 3yrs? I know at my clinic they are now initiating a 3 year rotation on it. Though the syptoms do sound just like it.