Posted on 04/08/2013 6:33:01 PM PDT by West Texas Chuck
Sorry bro. Cats are important to the family. They become family.
Thank you everyone for your support and sympathy. I wish I had good news.
Just when Rocket seemed to be improving and regaining use of his back legs, some more of that clot apparently came loose and lodged in his brain. Susan and I had just enough time to make it to the clinic to find him convulsing, and Dr. Lisa had to send him on.
It is always hard to say goodbye, but like with our calico she was old and we watched her decline until it was time to set her free from the pain of old age and kidney failure. With Rocket it was just so sudden. He was only about 7-1/2 years old, and seemed to be in fine health three days ago. I didn’t even get to bring him home one last time once he started his circuit of vet clinics Sunday evening.
It is over, he is gone, and life goes on. Goodbye dear friend, I’ll miss your head butts and trilling meow. You were a good kid.
I’m so sorry. Hugs to you and your wife.
EXCEPT in the case of our friend, West Texas Chuck's Rocket. With what he came down with, Saddle Thrombosis, it is critical that cats get immediate medical attention at the first sign of back extremity paralysis. According to the few websites I researched, this condition only happens to cats and it is caused by a blood clot that cuts off circulation to the back legs. It causes extreme pain for the poor dears and even though cats are known as great stoics who rarely signal they are sick (survival instinct) they cry out in pain. The faster they can get treatment (blood thinners and pain control) the better but usually the damage is permanent and euthanasia is the only option for most of them. I had never heard of this before seeing Chuck's post but it is a good things to know about for those of us blessed to have kittehs in our lives.
Chuck, I have been praying for Rocket and you and your wife. You have many FRiends here who will do all we can to lift you up and comfort you.
I hope you are comforted in knowing you did everything you could for Rocket and that what he got was something most kittehs don't recover from and euthanasia is the only option for them. Those of us who have faced losing our sweeties in the past share in your grief with you.
Apparently, Rocket did have heart problems, but they never showed up until the catastrophic event late Saturday or early Sunday.
All 3 vets told me the same thing, it is almost impossible to detect in felines. No cough, no murmur, just a sudden and usually fatal event. I have to hand it to all three, Dr. Triplett at the Emergency Clinic, our Dr. Carter at Springhill Vet Clinic and Dr. Thompson at the Center for Veterinary Specialty Care. Each was very sensitive to our feelings but steadfastly realistic about what we were likely facing. Each was professional and caring, and sorry there was not more to be done.
Rumor has it there may be some experimental testing in the near future that would have shown Rocket’s heart disease, but for now it hides in a very effective manner. If I was a rich man, I’d find a university somewhere interested in researching this and give them an endowment, but that is not the reality.
Doc Carter says he has seen this sort of trauma in about one percent of cats he comes in contact with. That may sound like a small number but that is a lot of animals. Susan and I are sad, we are faced with the fact Rocket is dead. Not sleeping, not missing, he is no longer here and won’t be back.
That is harsh, but that is the life of an animal lover.
I grieve for your loss.
I sure wish you had good news but if you believe in God, Rocket is there with him. I choose to believe this, backed up with some Biblical verses. I asked my Pastor this same question a long time ago and he seemed to think they are there as well. I’ve yet to find a verse that says we get them back but being with their creator is a wonderful thing. I’m of a mind that God put them here so we would have some tiny inkling of the love he feels for us, warts and all.
My prayers are for you, your family and for Rocket’s last journey.
Damn it all, this breaks my heart. You did the right thing and that’s all that counts.
Head butts are awesome, I can’t help but smile when they do it, it’s a privilege and if you look into your kitteh’s or doggie’s eyes, there’s definitely a high intelligence looking back at you. I’ve got one cat that I swear is analyzing everything she sees like most humans do. I don’t know why, but God has delivered numerous kittehs to my doorstep over thirty or more years. Even one that climbed to the second floor. They’re a gift of life and God has chosen you to be their caretaker although they could be our caretaker for all I know?
If you’ve never experienced infinite, unwavering love, undeserved, then you’ve never had an animal. And by undeserved I’m not saying you’re a bad person undeserving of love but animals know when people are ‘off’ even when you first meet them. The love only grows from there. My animals are family members second only to my wife.
I wish you and your family all the best.
I agree with what you’ve written 100%.
If your kitteh or doggie is lethargic and sneezing, it’s probably a cold (use common sense and if in doubt, get to the best vet you can afford). Anything that looks neurological (paralysis, unequal pupils, seizures) or blood in urine or stool or is unresponsive, get them to a vet as soon as humanly possible.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a vet you can trust, research is your friend as well as asking your animal loving friends who they use. Much like the joke about Doctors (what do you call the person in last place at medical school? Doctor), it applies to vets as well. Find this out before you ever need them in an emergency. My bad experience with a vet was because I’d only previously used them for vaccinations. When my prized Persian (to me) head started bobbing up and down like she was having a seizure, I’m sure I broke a few traffic laws getting her to the vet. I drove her blood to the testing facility around midnight and it was a long depressing drive but I wanted the results as quickly as possible. When I called the vet the next day the second they opened and she was still alive and better, I can’t explain the emotion (and I have no emotions) but it was powerful. Man, I miss that cat.
When the time comes and it always does, be there when the deed is done. Don’t wuss out, they were always there for you, take the last journey together. I was there when both of my parents died and while it was not the exact emotion it was in the same family and at least I didn’t have to sign the order that ended my parent’s lives and I also had the strength of my siblings (and God) to lean on.
The strange thing about death is, despite them being hooked up to a machine that displays heart rate, blood pressure, O2 saturation and respiration, it is obvious the second when the life has ended, I can’t explain it but when an animal human or otherwise dies, it is blindingly obvious that what made them, them, has moved on. I don’t want to trivialize death but when you’ve seen a lot of it, it really is an eye opener how the awesome miracle that is life, is over.
We had a dog, a magnificent animal incredibly intelligent although I don’t know what his pedigree was but he was big like a retriever but buff. He needed emergency surgery and unfortunately, he ended up having Myasthenia gravis as well as the stomach problem which required an extremely expensive medicine. The cost was immaterial but he was dying in front of our eyes, he would throw up many times during the day and the drug for his treatment at that time was only available orally. We had to hydrate him intravenously at first but we were foolish and selfish keeping him alive when he was clearly not getting better. Even as I took him for his last ride he had his ears up and never betrayed the immense pain he must have felt. My wife and I vowed to never let that happen again.
You can always count on your animals; God didn’t make them on a whim.
I don’t know what happened to America in the last fifty years but at the very least, besides being banned from the NFL, Michael Vic should be shunned, not celebrated and that goes for his customers or friends. Dogs will sacrifice their lives to save you and at least my kittehs will wait awhile after I’ve died before they start to eat me and I’m OK with that.
I feel pity for people who don’t like animals. You get a head butt from a kitteh and it’s a wonderful feeling; it’s like they trust you and animals are an excellent judge of character. I’ve had more than one person say that no one could pick up their cat and it made them angry that I was able to scoop them up with no problem. It’s also a good idea to keep their considerable armament neutralized gently; things like folding their front paws and being able to recognize when the kitteh is less than pleased, the ears being back is a good sign.
Oops, it’s feeding time, gotta go.
I am so sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
http://www.helium.com/items/1312265-saddle-thrombus-cats
http://web-dvm.net/saddlethrombus.html
http://blog.embracepetinsurance.com/2006/10/saddle_thrombus.html
You did the right thing getting Rocket to a Vet ASAP. I'm so sorry it didn't work out for him. In time that acute pain of loss will heal and, though he isn't there in person, he is in spirit. I hope you will be able to open your hearts again one day for there are many needy kittehs who would love a family and they DO help heal our hearts. You guys sound like the best parents a kitteh could ask for!
So sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. What a sweet story you told about that tiny kitten clearly in need of a good home and an appreciative audience for his kitteh antics! May the memories help to ease the pain.
Wow, that’s a lot of good info. After all the cats I’ve been around in my days I am surprised I’ve never heard of this condition. I’ll bet a lot of cats who suffered over the years simply died and nobody really knew why.
It is still too early to think about any new pets. Our cats always find us, or come from shelters. I have this stray who lives by my side porch, I trapped him and took him to the vet a couple of weeks ago for some medical attention and to get fixed. But he is wild and I’ve only been able to touch him a couple of times. Good kid, but roams the neighborhood and belongs to no one.
I’m trying to determine if the remaining animals have missed Rocket or even wonder where he is.
Head butts and info — thanks for posts.
I KNOW there is a Creator because cats purr.
Oh yeah, Taurine is a biggie. As cats are carnivores (not herbivores or omnivores), they need a steady supply of meat.
I used to get Cat Fancy magazine (I said I liked kittehs) and you would always see letters about some vegan or vegetarian wanting to do the same to their cat and they would always respond with the Taurine issue.
That saddle thrombosis sounds like some nasty stuff.
One thing Cat Fancy did have was recipes for homemade kitteh food and they were easy enough that I could do them. Unfortunately it’s even easier to get the good wet and dry cat food at Bel Air.
Much like maintenance on your car (or anything for that matter) cheaping out, costs more in the long run.
Look at the ingredients and ensure it’s #1 ingredient isn’t a filler. I use the 9-Lives wet and you can tell it’s all meat and gravy and the cats love it. We use the Purina complete for dry so they have something to nibble on all day. Unfortunately I taught one kitteh to meow on command. It was cute until he started stalking me in the morning and as soon as he saw me move, he started meowing for his food. I’m using a squirt gun to modify his behavior.
You also need to see if your kitteh has food allergies. I can’t buy any fish or turkey based food as the kittehs started urping it up soon after eating it.
Don’t forget the petromalt for hair balls. I don’t know why but the kittehs seem to think it’s best to eliminate hairballs around midnight and make the most disgusting sounds as they bring them up. If we’re not quick enough, the dog eats it. Nasty. Most cats will lick an inch worth of Petromalt off of your finger; if they don’t, put it on their paw and they’ll lick it off from there.
We feed our two Blue Buffalo Indoor Health dry food and the female eats a half small can of Wilderness chicken formula wet food at night (the male doesn’t seem to like wet food). The Blue brand is perfect for them and IS a hairball formula especially for indoor cats. It is pricey but they are thriving on it and rarely get stomach issues. PLUS...they are worth it!
So sorry for your loss.....it’s heartbreaking...
We used Blue, the kittehs loved it but it’s expensive so we switched to Purina Complete which they love and they don’t throw it up after eating and their coats look excellent. After the depression shows signs of recovering, then we’ll go back to Blue. I’m afraid that I can’t imagine that happening until things get much worse, plus we won’t have a chance of recovering until O leaves and we already know the GOP is appeasing and bowing and scraping to more people than Odinga.
I’ve never heard of Wilderness brand wet food. Is it good and how much is it and the size of the can? Thank you.
You bring up an excellent and important point I failed to make. If you love your kitteh, keep em indoors. They last longer, they’re safer and you don’t have to worry when they don’t show up on time. Plus, when you have an outdoors kitteh, the kittehs could have more than one family. If you live on a farm or out in the country, then it might be reasonably safe to let them go outdoors because they really do love the outside. The only thing I can think of is predators but if I were in that type of situation, I would consider letting them go outside; maybe talk to the neighbors as well as the local vet that people trust.
I made a mistake about the wet food, it's Wellness brand, not Wilderness. It is the chicken formula and it's grain free. The small 3 oz. can is about $1.39 and the larger is a little bit more. I could buy the larger one and save money but Stella won't eat it if it is older than two days once it's opened (I know, she's spoiled rotten!). She eats a half can at night and she usually indicates she wants it by sitting up on her spot and waiting. No meowing, no dirty looks, just assuming I will notice her and get up and prepare it. She's a cool kitteh!
I remember the comedian, Gallagher, had a funny routine where he talked about finally finding a cat food his cats would eat and then making the mistake of letting them see a stack of it in the cupboard 'cuz then, "They don't like Friskie-kitty anymore, noooo, they want Tender-vittles now!" "But, then I thought, if I was a cat, I wouldn't want the same thing every day. I'd want a little variety. How come they don't make butt-flavored cat food, or little birdie or mouse? Did your cat ever bring you home a tuna?!". He was hilarious.
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