How do I know if my cat was harmed while being neutered? Has anyone ever had an experience like this?

Question

The vet (who I've trusted) said that he wouldn't go under the anasthesia, therefore got caught on something & ripped a couple of his back nails. I don't understand how this can happen? What do I do. I feel terrible like I should have never even bothered having the neutering done. Am I to blame for trusting the vet? Will his nails grow back? Will the cat resent me now? Please help!! I really don't think the vet or assistant would ever harm an animal, esp. since she saved my first cat years ago. Could this have really been a complete accident- esp. since the cat is restless/ a little aggressive to begin with? Will the cat be able to forget this trauma?

Answer 1

The cat must have gotten out of control while they were trying to sedate him before neutering him. Unforunately this can happen though rarely.It likely was a freak accident and not caused by anything the vets or techs did wrong.A cat that turns into a wild man can be terribly hard to handle/control even with the best training.

Sometimes it takes a while for sedation to take effect to calm the cat before the full anesthesia is given, this is likely what the vet was telling you. Cats are under anesthesia for neutering.
No you aren't to blame and likely neither is the vet. No the cat won't resent you.

Yes the cat will forgive and forget.

Answer 2

First of all, kudos on neutering your cat. The cat population is totally out of control, just look in the newspaper or in any animal shelter for evidence. Plus, if you didn't, he'd start to smell really bad, he'd get in fights all the time, he'd constantly be trying to get out to mate, and he'd probably start spraying in your house.

Secondly, neutering is a very minor operation, believe it or not, so a lot of vets don't like to anesthetize the cat because of the risk of complications from the gas. Most vets will just give a tranquilizer, which keeps the cat calm for the procedure. Whatever the case may be, he could have hurt himself in a semi-conscious state as the drugs wore off, because a lot of cats will become aggressive at that point since they don't know what's happening to them. There story also makes sense that he started to stuggle as the drugs were kicking in. Still, if the cat was injured under their care, they should probably treat his injuries free of charge.

Be aware that some unethical vets will charge the people for the anesthesia, and then never give it to the cat, because the people won't end up knowing the difference. They just hold the cat down and do the procedure really quickly, the way they used to do it before tranquilizers came into fashion. If you suspect malpractice, you should take the bill from the neuter with the cat to another vet to have his foot looked at, and for their opinion. But remember, out of professional courtesy, most vets won't come out and say, "you were ripped off," so read between the lines.

I'm not a vet, but I do work with animals, and the injuries you're describing sound consistant with the cat hurting himself trying to get away. I doubt they deliberately hurt the cat, but that doesn't mean they aren't at fault. It sounds like he'll probably be okay, though, so don't worry. Don't be surprised if he hates the vet's office now, though.

Answer 3

I worked at a vet hospital for about four years, and while I never saw a cat tear its claws, I have seen cats go absolutely ballistic. If your cat is already of a nervous or aggressive disposition and is in an intimidating setting like the vet office, it could very possibly have freaked out bad enough to hurt itself, especially if it hurt a tech and freed itself from their grasp. There are a lot of things/places in a vet hospital on/in which a cat can hurt itself if it is acting that way. I don't know with certainty that it was not the fault of your vet, but it definitely could have been an accident. I've got many scars to attest to the lengths to which cats will go when frightened or angry.

As for fogetting the trauma, I think your cat will attribute any stress to the vet and not to you. He may act nervous for a while, but he'll be ok and he probably won't hold a grudge.

Answer 4

Sorry this happened with your cat, but you've asked this same question in different words every day now for about a week.

Your cat will be ok. There's no way to know whether it was vet's mistake or true accident, either is possible. The nails are almost certain to grow back

Quit repeatedly asking Yahoo and try spending some time with poor hurt kitty instead!

Sorry to be harsh, but really, no matter how many times you ask the question, the answers aren't going to change all that much.

Answer 5

What did he get caught on that would rip some nails out?

He could have put him under servoflurane gas first, then under general anesthesia. If the vet knew that the animal was agressive, he could have had you give him some acepromazine beforehand so that he would have been groggy when he got there, and it would have been easier for him to put him under.

The nails will grow back, or at least they should. The trauma will be forgotten.

If you're still unsure about what happened, question the vet. It probably was just an accident.

Answer 6

I guess it sounds like a freak accident. But why wouldn't they put your cat under anasthesia? I mean, I thought they did...which is why they keep your cat for a day after the neutering.

I would imagine your cat will be fine. I don't think he'll resent YOU considering you're not the one who neutered him. But good luck getting him NOT to pee himself with fear the next time you take him to a vet.

Go to another vet and have them take a look at his injured foot.

But anyway, don't regret neutering your little kitty. It's a good, responsible thing to do. Nothing worse than kittens without homes. Or a couch smelling of male cat urine. Ew.

Answer 7

If the cat is really young, it will forget the trauma completely. I've never heard of a cat not going under anasthesia though.

Answer 8

My cat had a bad experience at the vet when he went in for the same surgery. He came back and wouldn't come near me for a while. It took some time but he/she will warm up to you again. I wished i could have changed the fact that i took him in, but there's not much you can do about it, you can blame the vet but i doubt they'll take much resposibility. Just give your cat some time.

Answer 9

I have welcomed a WILD stray into my home. She was pregnant and in severe need of medical attentiion. I tricked her into the house and after four months, she still won't let me near her. Nurses at the vet's call her satan, I named her Satin for short. For every medical procedure, she is first placed into a clear plexiglass box small enough so she can't turn around and hurt herself. She is then gassed into a peacefull sleep until all scary things are done without her knowing.

Get RID OF THAT VET!

Answer 10

What I don't understand is that your cat was not under anasthesia while being neutered??????/

I think your vet is horrible......Can you imagine having your b*lls cut off without anasthesia?

Find another vet.