Expert: Ali - 10/21/2010

Question
Yesterday my kitten got a fishing hook caught in its upper lip, i took him to the local vet where they told me they were going to sedate him an remove the hook. Later on i get a call saying that they had given him an atheistic an they had complication which made his heart stop. only later to find out that it was after surgery an they didn't realize he wasn't breathing for 10 minutes, an that the vet had given to much anaesthetic. so now they are only making me pay the original fees but the cat still has large pupils with a blind stare no response only when you touch around the eye, lack of coordination trying to walk, an shaking. their trying to tell me that hes fine an he is only going to be blind but i think he has brain damage. so my question is does it sound like he has brain damage?

Answer
Felicia,

This is a very serious situation and at this point I'd recommend getting your kitten's chart from the original veterinarian ASAP (before any attempt to cover this mess up is made) and have this baby assessed by a veterinarian who isn't in any way associated with the vet who treated this kitten yesterday.

Unfortunately you are quite likely liable for the original fees for this kitten's care since you most likely signed a release stating that you understood that complications can and do arise including death and that you would still pay the fees for the initial procedure regardless of the outcome.

If the information you have is accurate then negligence is definitely a factor here and you do have the option of making a formal complaint to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association as well as taking legal action against the veterinarian, vet staff and clinic itself.

You can read up on normal anesthesia monitoring standards at: http://www.ruralareavet.org-PDF-Anesthesia_Patient-Monitoring so that you have an idea of what the standards are that should have been followed with your kitten while he was under anesthesia and as he recovered from the anesthetic.

At this point the main issue that needs to be determined by a qualified veterinarian is whether or not this kitten is in pain or discomfort that can't be alleviated through proper treatment. If this is the case then the kitten's quality of life is compromised and there are some difficult decisions to make about his future because you want him to live in dignity and comfort or pass away gently in a dignified way if there isn't any way to alleviate any suffering he may be experiencing.

To be clear, I'm NOT saying that your kitten is suffering, I'm saying that it's important to determine his overall state at this point because I truly don't feel like you've gotten the whole story from the clinic that he was initially treated at. If your kitten has lost his sight it won't be a big deal to him once he becomes familiar with the layout of your home and where all of his basics (toys, litter, food, bed, etc) are located. In the event that your kitten's got neurological damage that is creating difficulties with his balance that doesn't necessarily mean he won't recover some of his function - right now his biggest advantages in this situation are simple - he's a fighter and he's very young so his body and brain are more likely to recover function that an older cat's body and brain might not.

I think this goes without saying, but I would NEVER allow the vet who treated your kitten yesterday or his/her staff anywhere near your little guy again for any reason, it's just not worth the risk that they might make another mistake and cause this kitten further harm.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your kitten at this time and I have plenty of hope that he will regain his strength soon. I'm more than willing to offer tips on caring for a special needs kitten and offer a supportive ear for any issues that might come up along the way. Please keep me informed as to how this little man's assessment by an independent vet goes and how his recovery progresses. If you have any further questions, concerns or you simply need a supportive ear I'm more than willing to help so please don't hesitate to contact me again at any time. I wish you and your kitten the best of luck and I hope he's doing well.