I know it's a little late but...

I figured no one really minded since I didn't get any angry comments! (Probably because I have so few readers!). So I guess some more detail about the ER is in order... I will tell you about the worst case and the best case- that way I'm not being overly long-winded!

The worst case was definitely the cat with saddle thrombus. The techs knew what it was the second it walked through the door (or was carried, rather). This is because cats with this condition scream, and scream terribly. Cats are creatures that will normally hide illnesses and injuries pretty well, they don't complain much. They explained the condition to me thus: Saddle thrombus occurs when a cat with heart disease (which is very difficult to detect without ultrasound) throws a blood clot. The clot gets wedged where the aorta splits at the pelvis, and blood supply is thus cut off from the heart. The back legs (normally one or the other, though sometimes both) then lose blood flow and feeling. It is extremely painful for the cat. One of the first things done to the cat was to cut a back toenail on each foot. The left did not have blood flow, while the right did. Thus it was determined that the clot became lodged on the left side. Due to lack of blood flow, the cat then went into cardiac failure. He was severely panting, and you could see his heart beat in his breathing pattern. He screamed, and hissed at the pain. We placed him in an oxygen tank and gave him a painkiller, and still he tried to drag himself around, in severe distress. He pawed at the glass and it was the most heart-breaking thing I think I have seen. The owner would not consent to euthanize for at least 20 minutes after the cat arrived, as she was hysterical. The owner's husband was screaming and yelling at everyone (including his wife). Finally, they consented, the paperwork was signed, and she came back to see him one last time. This was not the vet's idea, but the owners, and was not ideal, as she continued to cry and talk to the cat for at least another 10 minutes, despite the efforts of her son. I sympathized with her- obviously she loved the cat, and her husband was being a complete idiot (something along the lines of "It's just a cat... you'll be back in a week with another one... stop being ridiculous... get over it" continued to be repeated to her). However, I did not respect her for letting that cat be in pain for that long. There is no good prognosis for saddle thrombus. There is no cure. If caught early enough, sometimes the underlying heart conditions can be treated. But at the stage this cat was in, he was just in complete and utter pain. No matter how many times they explained this to her, she just didn't get it. Finally it was all taken care of. I, and the rest of those present, were relieved when the cat screamed for the last time. Truly that is human euthanasia.

The best case was a 17 year old jack (yes 17!), with a huge tumor on his side. He had fallen down the stairs and the owner was worried that the dog had broken his leg. After an x-ray, it was determined that it was only a soft tissue wound. To put him on the pain killers, they wanted to check the function of all of his organs. And they were truly as functional as a 2 year old! Despite his age and massive tumor, the little guy was happy, healthy and well-loved.

~Melissa