My cat died on Valentines Day.  He was barely 3 years old.

I took him to the vet with symptoms of Feline Lower Uninary Syndrome and he was indeed blocked.  But there were no complications - he was eating, running, playing and mischievous as ever - and his blood work, including renal function, was normal.

The next time I saw my cat I was horrified; he was a shadow of himself and it broke my heart - he was suffering! the vet recommended last-resort PU and I agreed in an attempt to save my cat's life.  (The vet apparently botched more than one aspect of his treatment.)  Unknown to me until the final bill arrived yesterday, he was given Metacam THE FIRST DAY!  I note that Metacam has built in renal issues, and the fact that they would give this particular medication to an animal suffering from a urinary ailment is beyond comprehension.

I know I cannot bring my sweet, adorable cat back.  But I would like to do something to be sure that others do not end up like my cat Normie - and of course bring such pain to their owners.

If this episode had some positive aspect, it raised my consciousness.  I will never trust an animal to a vet - any more than I trust human doctors to tell the truth.

Best,

Marti

 

Thanks Dave.  I hate causing trouble for people, specially when the staff at the hospital is so nice.  But I would hate to remain silent and have this happen to some other unsuspecting soul.

Attached are a couple of photos of Norman.  He was the sweetest, most affectionate, most mischievous dude ever. Everyone loved Normie - friends, family and co-workers and all of us are still crying and can hardly stand being in my lonely house.  His favorite antics were harassing my cat Coco in various creative ways - she has a special spot on the top of the couch right above a heater vent.  Normie would wait until she was comfortable and sound asleep.  Then he would creep up and kick her off and take the space for himself.  If he wasn't interested in the particular place she was sleeping, Normie would sneak up from behind and smack her on her butt - which would of course make her roar like a lion. This of course delighted him and he would then chase her around the room.  He also had an undying, utter excitement and fixation for office machines (my office is in my basement).  He was specially enthusiastic about the fax machine.  When a document was coming through, he would quickly squeeze into a crevice between the machine and the wall so that it was hard to get him out.  He liked to sleep on the highest beam on my cathedral ceilings and if you talked sweetly to him, he would flop way up there and scare the heck out of you, that he might fall over the side.

This was exactly how my cat was the day I took him to the vet with FLUT issues.  I found that he was blocked and I trusted him to the vet, never imagining he would actually die.  He had no complications - no kidney issues, a great appetite and energy.

The vet catheterized him and unblocked him.  But immediately he re-blocked and there was so much swelling and edema to his urethra that they could not reinsert the catheter.  The only alternative was surgery (PU) but he never really came back.  He suffered horribly and finally last Friday I brought him home to die in his own house, around the people he loved.  He died on Valentines Day morning - so sad.

Upon reading my final bill I noted that the cat, with urinary problems, was administered Metacam on the first day he arrived at the hospital.  I suspect the administration of Metacam was only part of his sad story and the poor judgment calls made by the vet.