It seems everyone has had a cat named Smokey but our boy was one special resident.
He came from Roanoke, VA and had been maimed during a surgical procedure. What should have been a routine catherization because he was blocked with crystals turned into a nightmare. To insert a catheter into a small opening takes time. Unfortunately Smokey’s urethra was punctured. Therefore a Perineal Urethrostomy was next in order where a male actually is turned into a female. Somehow something went terribly wrong with the operation.
Our volunteer Pat R. alerted us to her friend’s dilemma. They loved Smokey and he was a young boy but she told me that he now urinated through his stomach and dribbled all over the house he was about to be euthanized. We could not understand what had happened and for a boy only a few years old to be “put down” we decided to accept the challenge. The day before Smokey was to come here his owner called and said that he was in great pain. She was told to put diluted Clorox water on his stomach and he would scream in pain. My comment was to wipe the uric acid off his shaved belly and put salve on it, only to find out the vet never shaved his belly!
Smokey arrived the next day and was a talkative sweetheart! When our vet Dr. Prange showed up he tried to shave his belly which was loaded with ulcers and urine scalding. We were told to wash him everyday and put salve on his ulcerations.
Smokey did well with this but we still didn’t know exactly what had been done to him. We took him to our other vet Dr. Kathio for an ultrasound. Dr. Kathio was appalled by what he saw! This vet repositioned Smokey’s organs where the kidneys were piggy backed to the bladder. There was no muscle control to express the bladder- just gravity. Toxins in the urine could never be completely expressed so he was put on low doses of antibiotics to compensate. Smokey had been given a death sentence by the vet in Virginia who assured his parents the he “saved Smokey’s life”. At this point we had two vets willing to testify to have this vets license pulled. The owners thought this was too severe.
Smokey flourished most parts. We could tell by his behavior and smell of the urine when the toxins were building up. At that point we would increase his antibiotics until he was clear.
Just last summer Smokey and his buddies were moved to a new condo in “the barn” with many windows and an outside run. Smokey loved it! He’d sit out on the deck and talk to anyone who was near by. He prospered – but we knew there was a dark cloud over his head. He was having urinary problems with increasing frequency and we knew the antibiotics could only do so much.
One Saturday in December Smokey was down. I increased the antibiotics and he did better. The next day was worse. That was the day of our Holiday pie/cake pick-up. Many of these people knew and loved Smokey. We knew there was nothing else to be done other then keep him comfortable. Person after person went back to kiss him on the head and say their ‘Goodbye” and Smokey would pick up his head and acknowledge every one of them. He loved the attention. That night he was very tired and I gave him more antibiotics. I gave him a kiss on the head and told him that it was alright if he just wanted to go. The next morning Smokey was gone- no pain or suffering- in the same position he was in the night before. He was to soon gone…
To that vet in Virginia- I can not put in print what I want to happen to you. You convinced his parents that you saved his life, and they in turn paid you thousands of dollars. You didn’t save his life – you cut it short by at least 75%. Smokey loved everyone and everything- and now he is gone.
We’re happy for the time we had with him and will never forget him. Smokie Links, you’re free now. We’ll see you.
