Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
I had my autistic son’s kitten neutered and a few days later he couldn’t move his hind legs very well. I took him to the vet and they thought it was because he was ill and put him on antibiotics. He is almost done with the meds. Is it possible the vet did something wrong in the surgery? Please help. I don’t know what to tell my son about his kitty.
~Corrin
Siouxsie: Although we’re not veterinarians and couldn’t say for sure what happened, our research has indicated a possible explanation.
Thomas: Your kitten may have had a reaction to the anesthetic that was used for his surgery. According to Mike Richards, DVM, at VetInfo For Cats, Ketamine and Xylazine, the two most common drugs used for the first stage of anesthesia, can, in rare instances, cause central nervous system problems.
Dahlia: This happens if the medicine causes the blood pressure to get too low, which causes heart arrythmia (irregular heartbeat) and means that not enough oxygen gets to the brain.
Siouxsie: These symptoms are extremely rare and they happen to the best and most competent vets in the world, so it’s not necessarily an indication that your vet did something wrong.
Thomas: Sometimes surgery can uncover medical problems that weren’t obvious before, such as cardiomyopathy (weakness of the heart muscle), or liver or kidney problems.
Dahlia: Some vets encourage people to have their cats’ blood tested before they’re put under anesthesia. When this testing is done, it can reveal potential liver and kidney issues, but it won’t uncover cardiomyopathy.
Siouxsie: The good news is, because your kitten is so young there’s a very good chance he’ll make a full recovery. It may take weeks or even months, but he should be okay eventually.
Thomas: While your son’s kitten is coping with this disability, make sure he gets plenty of fluids and that he’s eating. If he stops drinking or eating, get him to the vet right away.
Dahlia: So, Corrin, if I were you I’d explain to your son that sometimes the anesthetic makes cats sick and wobbly, and it may take a while for your cat to get better. Encourage your son to be extra-kind and gentle to the kitten while he recovers and to be as helpful as he can. If your son is aware that he’s “different” from other kids, you might be able to use this as a teachable time to help him learn more about compassion and caring.
Siouxsie: We don’t know the level of autism your son has, so we don’t know how capable he is of taking care of the kitten or understanding what the problem is, but Mama has autistic friends who have found that taking care of sick animals has been a profoundly life-changing experience for them.
Thomas: We’d also encourage you to talk to your vet and see if you can get more answers about what the problem is. If your son’s kitten doesn’t make a full recovery with the antibiotics and they continue to assume that he has an infection, you may want to consult another veterinarian.
Dahlia: Good luck, Corrin, and our best wishes for your kitten’s recovery.
JaneA Kelley is a punk rock cat mom and award-winning blogger. She is a regular columnist for Catster Magazine, and she and the Paws and Effect Gang share a home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Your advice is amazing, which means it mirrors what I would say and I have been a vet tech since 1972! I am so happy I am following your blog and now direct all my adoptive parents to you, too!
Thank you! Your compliment means a lot to us and we really appreciate it. In fact, Mama’s eyes are even leaking a little bit. Bless you, and we always welcome feedback from our readers — constructive critique as well as praise and virtual petties!
Hi! This is my first time at your website prompted by your Daily Cat Tip piece. I was immediately interested in your front page article and read it through to the comments. Terry and I are fellow bloggers in the Cat Blogospere and if Terry from Furrydance gives you a thumbs up, we are on board as a regular follower!
~Lisa Co9T
Hi there, and thank you for stopping by. The gang says “purr” for the compliments.
Hi! This is my first time at your website prompted by your Daily Cat Tip piece. I was immediately interested in your front page article and read it through to the comments. Terry and I are fellow bloggers in the Cat Blogospere and if Terry from Furrydance gives you a thumbs up, we are on board as a regular follower!
~Lisa Co9T
I loved the advice that was given. It was very help full.I just wondered what could be wrong if the cat dosnt seem to be getting any better? The same thing happen to my kitten and he is still haveing trouble it seems to be getting worse, the vet didnt even look at him on his last visit and said it was something genetic. I would love any and all information. Thank You
My cat just got nuetured also 3 days ago and the same thing happened to him starting last night. Going to do what you said and hopefully our baby boy recovers . thanks so much, George && christy
I know this was a long time ago, but I’m just hoping you still somehow are notified and can tell me if you found anything out about your kitty. Did he survive? I am in the exact situation with mine. Any info you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
My cat is lame also, he was great until this neutering and now it`s little boy down,
I have cried myself sick and wish I had never taken him for the procedure.
I will not take anymore even if there are 100 cats .
I think this just happened to my kitten
This happened to my cat many years ago. Following her neutering, for 48 hours she had no control over her hind legs. I cried watching her drag herself to the litter box. Even though she seemed to recover, a year later she started having balance problems associated with weak back legs. Every year her condition would get just a tad worse. By 4 years old it was very common for her to fall of couches, counters, anything really. By 11 years old I put her to sleep. She could barely walk 3 feet before wobbling into a wall. No vet could ever find anything wrong with her and would say it’s must be neurological. I’ll never forgive the vet, or myself.
I had the same thing happen to my male cat. It’s been almost 7 months since I had him fixed & he still gets weak in his legs & falls. Especially when he starts running, I like so many of you, feel so guilty for getting him fixed. Also I think he’s deaf now, he doesn’t respond like my other cats. I feel horrible, the vet don’t claim to know what happened either. My smoke detector went off & he was laying under it, all my other cats flew under my bed, he was just looking like he thought they were crazy.
This just happened to me also. They have no idea what it is. He never walked right after his neuter and after a month he collapsed a lot. His back legs seem paralyzed. Xrays done and nothing found. It was comforting to read other similar posts here and know I am not the only one with the problem. I’m distraught that he might never have a good life because of this. The vets believe it to be something genetically triggered by the surgery. I don’t have thousands to spend, which is what it seems it will take. Already $1k later…I have bought my cat cosequin and will see if it helps.
I know this was a long time ago, but I’m just hoping you still somehow are notified and can tell me if you found anything out about your kitty. Did he survive? I am in the exact situation with mine. Any info you can offer would be greatly appreciated.