I am extremely disappointed with our adopter's experience at Flower Mound Veterinary Emergency &…read moreSpecialty Center and with the way he was counseled regarding our rescue kitten, Snap.
Snap was a 4-month-old kitten who became critically ill suddenly. His hematocrit was 8.6% and his platelet count was approximately 10,000. He had severe anemia, thrombocytopenia, bruising, and bleeding. We fully understand his condition was life-threatening, treatment would have been expensive, and there was no guarantee he would survive.
Snap was transferred to this hospital specifically for a blood transfusion. According to his adopter, once they arrived he was strongly discouraged from pursuing treatment. He was told that even after the transfusion Snap's hematocrit would still be dangerously low, that he would likely require extensive ongoing treatment, and was given an extremely bleak outlook regarding his potential future quality of life. Based on that conversation, his adopter ultimately agreed to euthanasia.
The hospital's own record states that Snap was "relatively compensated despite the severity of his anemia." His examination documented that he was quiet but alert and responsive, with strong pulses, normal respiration, normal neurologic findings, and no obvious organ failure. His chemistry was largely unremarkable. His anemia was also regenerative, meaning his bone marrow was actively producing replacement red blood cells.
The referring veterinarian's working diagnosis was immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP), a potentially treatable condition. Another possibility was Evans syndrome. Neither diagnosis automatically means a cat will be chronically miserable or incapable of having a good quality of life. Both can respond to treatment and go into remission, although treatment can be difficult and relapse is possible.
Yes, one transfusion may only have raised Snap's hematocrit into the 15-20% range. He may have required additional transfusions and hospitalization, and treatment could have failed. But a transfusion does not have to immediately return a patient's hematocrit to normal to be worthwhile. It can stabilize a critically anemic patient and buy time for treatment of the underlying disease to work.
What is so upsetting is that we will never know how Snap would have responded because he was euthanized before he was given that chance.
I am NOT upset that euthanasia was presented as an option. With a critically ill kitten, an uncertain diagnosis, significant expense, and no guarantee of survival, it was appropriate to discuss every option.
I AM upset that, according to our adopter, he was given such a pessimistic impression of Snap's long-term outlook while making an irreversible decision, particularly when the hospital's own medical record states that "aggressive treatment is reasonable if they wish to pursue it," while also acknowledging that the underlying diagnosis was uncertain.
There is an enormous difference between telling someone, "He is critically ill, treatment may fail, and we cannot promise he will survive," and leaving an owner believing that even if they spend thousands of dollars treating him, he is unlikely to ever have a good quality of life.
Maybe treatment would have failed. Maybe Snap would have needed multiple transfusions. Maybe he would have developed a chronic condition requiring ongoing care. We understand those possibilities. But maybe he would have responded.
Snap was only four months old. Days earlier, he was an active, playful, completely normal kitten with no apparent signs of illness. Our adopter transferred him to this hospital specifically for a blood transfusion and to give him a chance to fight. Instead, he left without Snap.
We will never know whether he could have responded to treatment because he was never given that chance. Based on our adopter's experience and our review of Snap's medical records, we would NEVER recommend this hospital for critical-care decisions.
