Strider :( Options

[Pippin's Mom Kel]

Unexpectedly, our cat Strider died last night. He had just gotten a clean bill of health from our vet yesterday afternoon. He came home, played, ate, did normal Strider things... my husband and I went to find him before bed and found him dead in the litterbox.

We are devastated. We can't wrap our minds around how our healthy 6 year old black cat is dead. And I can't cope with the fact that he died in his litterbox, without us right there. We were HOME. How did we not hear him??????

The other cats are going to grieve terribly. Lancelot and Earl Grey were very close to him. They got to sniff his body before we took him to the vet, at least.

I don't... I have no words. I'm lost.

[Pippin's Mom Kel]

Hi, all. Let me start out by saying Karma is doing quite well atm, eating and active. He's very happy. Willow continues to eat well, and everyone else remains their usual adorable selves. All is well, but we had lots of drama with our vet and have ended up switching to a new clinic. After a stressful end of the week and weekend, we thought everything was better and we were very proud of ourselves for getting Karma through that... only to call our vet and find they were pissed off that a) we had been consulting with other vets about what to do and dared to disagree with the treatment plan and do what we needed to for Karma.

I tried really hard to communicate that I felt they hadn't listened to us from the start. When we brought Karma to them Thursday, they said nothing was wrong with him. He got worse, and we brought him to the ER, who found nothing in the bloodwork, but said that if he continued, the next step would be a different ER who could do ultrasounds. Also talked to them later and they thought maybe his hip was sore.

Friday, I asked our former vet about a hip x-ray and pain meds. They wouldn't do it, saying he hadn't eaten since Wednesday because he was either stressed or depressed. Gee, guess who was right??? So I spoke to the office manager, who was more concerned with making sure we understood why THEY were frustrated with US than finding out if Karma was ok, or what I meant when I said they weren't listening. Yes, we gave meds that were for Lance - but under the advisement of an veterinary internal medicine specialist I am friends with and trust and the vet who USED to work for them but started his own practice - when THEY weren't available over the weekend!! These are people we've worked with for 8 years; we adopted Lancelot and other cats from them. I was so hurt and angry. The office manager suggested we switch to the vet who had left and started his own practice. We were only too happy to. The entire time I was on the phone with her, she continued to suggest that WE were the cause of Karma's hip pain, because we took him to the vet too often trying to figure out what was wrong. Are you KIDDING me?

Karma went to see his new(old) vet Tuesday, and he spent TWO HOURS with my husband and Karma. He heard a murmur that 4 other vets hadn't. Karma is going to a cardiologist next Friday for an ultrasound to make sure he's ok. Not sure what it'll show, but at least I now feel like we're with a vet who listens to us. This is the vet who has said that my husband and I have the best instincts regarding our cats that he's ever seen. He, without fail, listens to us. When I spoke to him Saturday and was bringing him up to speed about Karma, he said, "If I had a cat like that, I would examine him every day until I figured out what was going on." After I got off the phone with him, I sobbed because, finally, someone was listening to us and believed us when I said something was wrong with my cat.

Karma may need hip surgery after he's cleared by cardiology, but we'll get there when we get there. I feel so much more confidence that whatever this ultrasound shows, we'll be able to handle it with a vet who is meticulous, NOT lazy, and listens to us.

Of course, this all circles back to my dear, sweet Strider. Our new (old) vet used to see Strider, and he adored him. He was so very sincerely sorry when he heard about Strider from us, and when my husband and Karma went to see him, my husband says he was genuinely sad and would miss him. And I wonder - had Strider continued to be in his care, would we have caught something that the vet we left missed? I wouldn't be surprised. My heart breaks to think we might have lost Strider because our vet was careless. I know that's an awful accusation, but I can't help but wonder.

Thanks for listening, all. We're getting over the hurt of "breaking up" with our old vet, with whom we thought we had a great relationship. We're so happy to be back with our best vet ever, though. I want to just weep for joy when I think of how relieved I am to have him back on our side. Lance and Earl have checkups next week. I know he's going to be thrilled to see Lance - who continues to do SO well!

Will wrap this up, but I just thought you guys should know how things were turning out. It was all really difficult, but everything happens for a reason.