I have read the hospital's response to my sister's review, and I feel compelled to address several…read morestatements made by management because they do not adequately explain what is documented in Crackle's medical records.
First, the hospital describes Crackle's postoperative respiratory complications as "mild." According to her records, Crackle experienced labored breathing and an irregular heart rhythm following extubation. She was administered atipamezole, naloxone to reverse methadone, and epinephrine. Her anesthesia monitoring records also show oxygen saturation readings as low as 89% and respiratory rates of 6-7 breaths per minute toward the end of the procedure.
I am not a veterinarian, but I believe it is reasonable to question why complications requiring these interventions are being characterized as merely mild.
Second, the hospital states that Crackle was "absolutely stable" before discharge--bright, alert, responsive, standing, and vocalizing. Yet when we requested clarification about her discharge assessment, Dr. Grinstead explained that the technicians would have assessed her condition but would not have documented their findings if there were no concerns.
Where is the documented assessment supporting the hospital's detailed claims about her condition at discharge?
My mother picked Crackle up at approximately 4:30 p.m. in her carrier. She was already noticeably lethargic. Upon arriving home, Crackle immediately hid and remained extremely withdrawn and unlike herself for the rest of the evening. My mother stayed downstairs with her all night. Around 1 a.m., she noticed that Crackle's breathing seemed slower than normal, although she was uncertain whether she was simply worrying. When she woke around 6 a.m., Crackle had passed away beside her.
Third, I question the decision to administer Zorbium after surgery. Crackle's records document that she received this long-acting opioid at approximately 11:50-11:54 a.m., shortly after receiving naloxone and epinephrine for her postoperative complications.
The manufacturer's prescribing instructions specify that Zorbium should be administered 1-2 hours before surgery, not afterward. Crackle was also over 10 years old, while the original clinical field study did not include cats older than five.
Fourth, the hospital suggests that Crackle's unexpected death indicates a possible underlying, undetected medical condition. Dr. Grinstead separately suggested hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a blood clot, or complications involving her significant UTI.
These are possibilities, not confirmed diagnoses. Without a necropsy, the cause of Crackle's death remains unknown. That uncertainty applies to potential complications from anesthesia and medications as well. I do not believe it is appropriate to treat an undiagnosed condition as the likely explanation while dismissing legitimate questions about the care she received.
Finally, I take issue with the suggestion that our family is simply looking for someone to blame because we are grieving.
The hospital says it champions honesty and transparency. Transparency should include acknowledging what is documented, explaining decisions that departed from manufacturer instructions, and recognizing what cannot be established from the available records.
We understand that anesthesia carries risks.
We may never know exactly what caused Crackle's death. But we believe she deserves a thorough, independent examination of the circumstances, rather than assurances that everything was done correctly.
Crackle was deeply loved. She was a perfectly healthy and happy cat before this procedure. we will never know what truly happened to her. The decisions of giving a powerful long lasting opioid after our baby already having severe complications during this procedure and the lack of documentation during her recovery (there is no record sent documented what her vitals were for 4 hours before she was discharged) is a serious concern I must share to others. I do not think this vet was being transparent on the complications and simply blaming on unknown undiagnosed heart condition or blood clots without even reflecting that maybe she should have never been discharged and should have been much more closely monitored by the actual veterinarian and not her techs. I wish Crackle did not have to pay the price due to practices lack of accountability in what happened to her. she EVEN MADE FUN OF HOW DOPED UP SHE WAS. how do you feel about it now after finding out she ended up dying within 12 hours after being discharged from your care? you should be ashamed of making fun of a cat being possibility OVERDOSED smh
