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Sevaede
04-08-2006, 12:07 AM
Okay. I was wondering if someone could help my husband and I figure out what happened to our precious Tier. I was kind of in a daze because it all happened so fast and couldn't really remember anything the vet had to say, nor do I recall him mentioning exactly what it was that killed our cat.

Tier was nine months old when we had to put him down. He had ALWAYS been an inside cat. My husband came home from work one night to discover our him limping on one hind leg. He called me at my parents and talked to me about it and while we were chatting he was petting Tier. Tier let out a hellacious yowl as my husbands hand glided over his back end. The next day, after my husband got off work and came and picked me up from my parents, we left for the apartment. I began calling out for Tier and could not find him. We searched and found him behind the refrigerator. I gently extracted him from the space between the fridge and the wall and set him down on the floor. We were shocked when we saw him not being able to use either leg as he dragged himself under our kitchen table. I then, gently, got him out and set him on the floor and called my mother, who was a vet tech for fifteen years, for advice. We discussed that he had not eaten, drank, nor gone to the bathroom (after some litter box checking) in some time. She said to offer him a bit of his favourite treat, some wet food. He turned his nose. She advised us to take him to the vet. So we did. The vet was pretty much at a loss when he saw him. He was able to make him pee on the table by pressing on his bladder. He touched his backside and Tier yowled and tried to bite him. His thoughts were that he had some kind of infection so he wanted to do some bacterial tests and take some x rays. We gave the okay and left our baby there for over night. Also, he told us we might want to consider putting him to sleep. The next day we had received a call that the bacterial tests came back negative. The vet wanted to see us ASAP. We went in and he took us to a dark room to look at the x rays. He began to tell us how he had tried to test if Tier had ANY sensation in his tail by pinching it to clamping down as hard as he could with some hemostats and Tier had given no response. He also asked if he was inside or outside and we said inside. "That's weird. It almost looks like he got hit by a car." said Dr. Bowman. Mind you, Tier was NEVER, ever allowed outside. He showed us the x rays and was talking about a pinched nerve. He said that we needed to make a decision asap. The vet told us he could perform a very expensive surgery but there was no guarantee that it would work, his tail would have to be amputated, and we would have had to help him go to the bathroom for the rest of his life, on top of medications. I was willing to do all of this but the vet advised that he would be living a life of very poor quality and that of a geriatric cat and he thought the most humane option would be to put him to sleep. So we made the difficult decision to do so. One of the older techs took us to a special room and asked if we wanted to hold him one last time, I declined (I hope he understands why), and so my husband picked him up and cradled him as we walked back to The Room (as it is my displeasure to call it). We watched as our nine month old kitten, who made things so much more awesome, was given rest and peace. It was so hard to watch, and we cried, but I petted him and told him that he was our sweet boy and would always be loved and missed. We were so upset we wanted to give all of his stuff to the vet clinic and they almost accepted but went out of their way to show us the names and numbers of a few people who were looking to give away or sell a kitty. Of course, we never got one though, until Soni happened upon our porch three weeks later, to the day, on my birthday. R.I.P. Tier, you are always loved and always missed. Pics: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/evilkitty1.jpg Pika-kitty! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/cardboardeater1.jpg He LOVED to sit in and eat the paper recyclables. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/tandk3.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/tandk2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/tandk1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/kittyrunning.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/kittyandme1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/kittyandme2.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/kitty1.jpg Those were taken the first day we had him. Now, for comparison, are pics of Soni: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/IMG00A.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/unbakedbrownie/IMG15A.jpg

smokey the elder
04-08-2006, 06:51 AM
I'm so sorry about Tier! Maybe he fell just wrong.

I know it's hard to think of at the time, but if one's cat dies from unusual or unknown causes at a young age, the owner may wish to consider a necropsy. It won't help YOUR cat, but may provide peace of mind, and maybe help the vet diagnose and save another little life.

moosmom
04-08-2006, 09:03 AM
Wenisrubber,

You did the right thing. Sometimes we have precious furkids come into our lives whose medical history is unknown. It could've been something in his genes that caused a neurological problem or an infection.

Smokey the Elder is right, maybe a necropsy will give you answers, but then again maybe not. For whatever reason, you guys are in my thoughts and prayers. At least Tier isn't in pain anymore.

RIP sweet Tier. Godspeed to the Rainbow Bridge.

flip195
04-08-2006, 09:12 AM
Okay. I was wondering if someone could help my husband and I figure out what happened to our precious Tier. I was kind of in a daze because it all happened so fast and couldn't really remember anything the vet had to say, nor do I recall him mentioning exactly what it was that killed our cat.

I am sorry for the loss of your fur baby.

I had something very similar happen to one of our cats many years ago, he was playing zoomies around the house and he banged into the leg of a table very hard with his rear end, it caused verybad swelling around the spine, which in turn caused nerve damage, he lost the use of his legs for about 6 weeks and he had to have his tail amputated as he did not regain control of it.

kb2yjx
04-08-2006, 09:54 AM
Perhaps he had undiagnosed CARDIOMYPATHY!!!! The loss of the legs like you described happens when blood clots are lodged in the deep veins/arteries that go to the legs. I am so sorry for your loss...

Sevaede
04-08-2006, 09:53 PM
I'm so sorry about Tier! Maybe he fell just wrong.

I know it's hard to think of at the time, but if one's cat dies from unusual or unknown causes at a young age, the owner may wish to consider a necropsy. It won't help YOUR cat, but may provide peace of mind, and maybe help the vet diagnose and save another little life.

Thank you very much. :) Oh! That reminds me! The vet asked if he there were any high places that he could have fallen from and my husband thinks that, if so, it may have been the shelf in the bedroom closet. Also, the vet said what happened to Tier was really unusual for a cat.

Well, I probably would have done that if given the option. Darn, I wish I would have been told about that. May save quite a bit of heart ache for some other folks!

Sevaede
04-08-2006, 09:55 PM
Wenisrubber,

You did the right thing. Sometimes we have precious furkids come into our lives whose medical history is unknown. It could've been something in his genes that caused a neurological problem or an infection.

Smokey the Elder is right, maybe a necropsy will give you answers, but then again maybe not. For whatever reason, you guys are in my thoughts and prayers. At least Tier isn't in pain anymore.

RIP sweet Tier. Godspeed to the Rainbow Bridge.

See, that's weird that you mention that because I did some research and some diseases DID come up! One was Intervertebratal Disc Disease and that would mean he would have had it from birth and his untimely demise would have been inevitable.

Thank you very much! :)

Sevaede
04-08-2006, 09:58 PM
I am sorry for the loss of your fur baby.

I had something very similar happen to one of our cats many years ago, he was playing zoomies around the house and he banged into the leg of a table very hard with his rear end, it caused verybad swelling around the spine, which in turn caused nerve damage, he lost the use of his legs for about 6 weeks and he had to have his tail amputated as he did not regain control of it.

Thank you very much. =)

Hmm, maybe that happened to Tier as well? Did your vet also tell you that the tail would have died and fallen off if you did not amputate it? When he said that I was like, "An amputated tail in exchange for him being able to stay alive? Okay, no problem. " but, sadly, such was not the case.

Sevaede
04-08-2006, 10:10 PM
Perhaps he had undiagnosed CARDIOMYPATHY!!!! The loss of the legs like you described happens when blood clots are lodged in the deep veins/arteries that go to the legs. I am so sorry for your loss...

Thank you. I will do some research and attempt to contact our former vet (we moved) and see if he can confirm anything that I've been reading about.

flip195
04-09-2006, 07:40 AM
Thank you very much. =)

Hmm, maybe that happened to Tier as well? Did your vet also tell you that the tail would have died and fallen off if you did not amputate it? When he said that I was like, "An amputated tail in exchange for him being able to stay alive? Okay, no problem. " but, sadly, such was not the case.

Yup pretty much what was said,
We had to express his bladder for weeks after his accident and he was never able to jump very well for the rest of his life, but I think he looked handsom with his little nub for a tail.

critters
04-09-2006, 12:56 PM
See, that's weird that you mention that because I did some research and some diseases DID come up! One was Intervertebratal Disc Disease and that would mean he would have had it from birth and his untimely demise would have been inevitable.

Thank you very much! :)

But lots of critters live with, and recover from, IVDD every day. There are even email list servs for paralyzed kitties, but most recover completely, with and without surgery. Many, many vets discourage it, though, for reasons, or ignorance, I don't understand.

Sevaede
04-21-2006, 10:56 PM
But lots of critters live with, and recover from, IVDD every day. There are even email list servs for paralyzed kitties, but most recover completely, with and without surgery. Many, many vets discourage it, though, for reasons, or ignorance, I don't understand.

Oh, okay. Well, we are just not entirely sure. I just want so badly to understand what happened to him and what was the cause. If he could have been saved, I'll be very furious.

Sevaede
04-21-2006, 10:58 PM
Yup pretty much what was said,
We had to express his bladder for weeks after his accident and he was never able to jump very well for the rest of his life, but I think he looked handsom with his little nub for a tail.

I was ready and willing to do the same things for Tier because not only was I distraught but I had the time and willingness and energy. =) I think he would have looked very handsome with a little nubby, as well. :D

tigress
04-29-2006, 10:50 PM
So sorry about you losing Tier. Your decision was the right one to make.

He is at peace now with no pain. Happy you have another furbaby.