Problems after anesthetic.

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that Kaniakas is not doing well. It sounds like the vet or vet staff had a hard time getting blood from him. I will commonly put an animal under a brief gas anesthetic in order to get blood. Often this is less stressful than wrestling with a cat who is struggling. However, I will always get an owner's approval before I do this. I also go over the risks involved. While most cats do just fine, if a cat has a pre-existing medical condition it can possibly make the cat worse.

The effects you are seeing now could very well be due to the anesthesia. How long these effects last depend on what type of anesthesia was used. If he was given a sedative injection first it can last for 12-24 hours. However, if it was simply gas anesthesia with no injections most cats are back to normal within an hour or two.

If he is still not eating after 24 hours then I would be concerned that there is something serious going on. One thing I would worry about would be if he is having a problem with his heart. Some cats can have a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is a condition they can be born with. Cats that have this often can not have the condition diagnosed without an ultrasound. Then, if they go through a stressful situation (i.e. having blood taken) their heart can struggle. However, most cats that have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will be much sicker (or possibly even die) than your cat sounds.

I think my biggest concern with this situation is that your vet did not ask your permission to do this.

I really hope Kaniakas is feeling better soon. If you have more concerns, you do not need to open a new question. You can simply hit the "reply to Dr. Marie" button and you will not be charged a new fee.

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry about the delay! It is a busy day here in the office. It is not uncommon for manx cats to have stool issues. However, often there is an underlying cause.

The bloodwork may give some clues. You may also want to ask your vet about inflammatory bowel disease.

It does not sound like he is having heart issues from what you have described. However it would be a good idea to call your vet and ask if they are concerned that Porkchop has not fully recovered.

Hope that helps!