Why did my kitten die from an eye enucleation surgery?

[CallaeG]

Hi. My kitten (about 8 weeks old) had a mass growing on her eye so enucleation was elected. Basically it never healed. It bled profusely, the stitches kept opening, she was anemic, lethargic, anorexic. She also wouldn't use a litter box and ate litter. She would fluctuate though. Some days she'd be doing great then others not so much. She was on antibiotics, phosphorus supplements and a vitamin supplement. The doctor re did the surgery twice because it kept swelling and just today she started bleeding again but this time she passed out and never woke back up. I really just want to know what went wrong. The doctor thinks she had a bleeding disorder but we never did any blood work. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Feeling so confused and heartbroken.

[CML2014]

Hi Callae.

I so agree with Melanie and Pips' assessment .  All we can do is try and address the medical issue so our babies won't suffer......sometimes it just is their time to leave us.

Those of us here know this pain all too well. So very sorry you have to join that club.......but that pain is inevitable it is just a matter of WHEN we must deal with the profound loss.

God Bless you and your little girl.

[Piparskeggr]

I am sad to read this, Gods Bless you for trying.

Unfortunately, our furry little friends are finely tuned bodies, which can be fragile.

We lost our Miss April Dancer to anaphylactic shock at the vet when she was given a mild sedative so she could be flea dipped.  She was still semi-feral and only my wife and I could handle her.  Our old vet in Nebraska could, too (he was an old fashioned country vet), but she did not yet know and trust the new folks in Ohio (we were an Air Force family, moved around a bit).  Dancer was a bout 6 1/2 when we lost her, never cried so hard for any other being, furry or human, felt we had betrayed her.

Unfortunately, sometimes you do everything right and it still ends up wrong.

[slaytheday]

Hello.

  I'm so very sorry about your little kitty passing onward.

  As I understand it enucleation is removal of the eye.  Since the kitty was anemic, not eating except for litter, and had 2 post-op surgeries I believe her system was overwhelmed.  Also the mass on her eye may have been cancerous and/or she had suffered some kind of eye trauma.  I think she must have been a tough kitten to have made it through all of that for any length of time.

  Anemia alone could have been enough for causing her life here to be short.

  Regarding the eating litter, I've seen cats eat odd things when they're battling cancer or other things.

  I don't know why she needed phosphorus supplements.  I tried to research that for you but I couldn't understand.  I apologize.

  Don't be afraid of writing or calling your vet with your concerns.  What you've expressed here in the forum would do nicely.

  Everyone here has had their heart broken too.  Your little girl is no longer in pain.  I wish you weren't either.

Blessings,
  Melinda