Another feral cat clinic came and went, and I had a pretty good time at this one. I was at the male cat prep area again, scrubbing the genitals for surgery. It was interesting seeing the pile of testicles grow as the morning went on! One of the cats died at this clinic, unfortunately. They called 'code' and all the vet techs and some of the doctors rushed over to try and resuscitate it, but the cat didn't make it. He was a black long-haired cat. After all the cats were finished, one of the doctors did an autopsy on him and I got to watch, turns out the cat had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The doctor noted the lungs being in bad condition, and he cut the heart up and we could see how thick the heart walls were. As tragic as this was, and as sad as it is to see the condition of a lot of cats that go through their (scarred up, upper respiratory infections, one was even missing a limb! Another was missing a tail, some had open sores, etc.) this clinic is the only care they will likely ever see in their lifetimes. And I think it's a great cause to try to curb feral cat overpopulation, because there aren't enough homes for these animals, and if they continue to breed they will only cause more unnecessary deaths.
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| My task: Scrubbing and spraying the male cats! |
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| Stack of unconscious kitties, waiting to be prepped! |
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| I thought it was so weird their eyes stay open when they're anesthetized! |
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| Cuddle time? |
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| He was given medicine for his eyes. |
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| Getting shaved! |
And good news: I'm getting my camera back soon from the repair shop! :D
Awww that's so sad. Don't get me wrong I think feral cat clinics are a blessing! Just sad that you can't really do more for them. There are just too many. Kind of morose as some of the pictures look like the cats are dead... Especially with their eyes open! o.0 Can you close them or do they open back up if you try? Great experience for you though!
ReplyDeleteYeah you can't close their eyes but we put mineral oil in them so they don't dry out.
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