Medical subsidy for a female cat with jaundice (now RIP) (Noraini bt Mohd Noor’s)

We have subsidised RM70.50 (the total bill is RM141.00, plus another additional RM40 for “disposal” which we do not cover). We have verified this case with the vet. All attempts had been made to save the cat, but she succumbed after a day.

From: Noraini Mohd Noor <norainimohdnoor@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 6:24 PM
Subject: Ref: Medical Treatment Subsidy
To: Chankahyein@gmail.com

Dear Dr Chan,

Refer to the above matter, I would like to check with you regarding medical treatment subsidy.

I already send this cat for spay on February, 2013. ( I email the photo after spay to you on 8/2/2013). After the spaying some complication occur & she contracted to “Jaundice” (Deman Kuning).

First i though its a normal fever. I bring her to a clinic. After one week, she dont seem to recover well. She refuse to eat food and drink only. Today i bring her to another clinic and the dr confirmed she got “Jaundice”(Demam Kuning). Dr advised me to admit the cat to the clinic for 3 days with cost RM300.00.

I need to inform you if I could get some subsidy.

Thank you.

Regards,

Aini

From: Noraini Mohd Noor <norainimohdnoor@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 3, 2013 at 7:03 PM
Subject: Re: Ref: Medical Treatment Subsidy
To: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>

Dear Dr Chan,

The cat i send to Mayo Clinic yesterday already passed away…..

The treatment being done to the cat were:

1) Liver Enzyme

2) Intravenous treatment (Drip)

Thank you.

Regards,
Aini

Rest in peace, and be happy in your new existence, Kitty.

Here lies the dilemma of getting street animals neutered without knowing their medical background. I’ve discussed this often with vets, and most vets agree that the priority is still to get them neutered as this prevents unwanted breeding (and other social problems including abuse and more suffering on the street). However, the risk is that street animals, being unvaccinated and previously not cared for, could come with a host of medical problems which do not manifest physically nor can be detected easily even by the trained eye of a vet.

Neutering is a surgical procedure, and it could lower the animal’s immunity and thereafter trigger off previously dormant medical problems in the animal. Even vaccination can do this at times. This is also why vets will not neuter, vaccinate or even deworm any animal who appears to be physically off-colour.

An alternative and added measure is to observe the animal for at least 2 weeks and do bloodwork on it before any procedure is done, but can we afford the time and the money? And will bloodwork be comprehensive enough to show everything?

There was even a case of a pet-dog who had all his vaccinations done, but he died on the table in a routine neutering procedure because there was an underlying liver problem which was never (and could not be) detected earlier.

There was a case of a rescued puppy who appeared to be totally healthy and was vaccinated, then he came down with severe parvovirus a few days later. Luckily the puppy survived. The vet believed the vaccination kicked in after 4-5 days and actually saved the puppy’s life.

In any case, when we have already done the best we can based on the best advice we have and still, the animal does not make it, we should comfort ourselves in knowing that it is not possible to prevent all possible eventualities.

Doing our (informed) best is all we can do.

What happened is the only thing that could have happened.