And Just Like That…
Many animal lovers have a story of stumbling upon a stray kitten or puppy, or adult dog or cat in a parking lot, behind a dumpster, along an abandoned road, or in the yard of a home for sale. One such animal lover we know found himself heading out for a fun evening when a small ebony-colored ball of fur suddenly materialized in front of him. He wondered how this vulnerable little kitten came to be out there all alone, and whether her mom and littermates were nearby. He decided to go about his evening and enjoy the concert, but upon returning to his car, the kitten appeared again. She was clearly on her own and appeared underweight and in need of care. And just like that, the “parking lot cat” had found herself a home with a nice man…by the name of Mr. Park! Seems fitting, don’t you think?
Odesza’s new guardian embraced caring for his new little charge with good nutrition, a safe and comfortable home, and a visit to his family veterinarian for vaccinations and ongoing care. Odesza grew and blossomed in Mr. Park’s care and the lovely, yet sassy, kitten was maturing and thriving. It was soon time for Odesza’s veterinarian to discuss and schedule spay surgery (ovariohysterectomy/OVH) with her owner and a date was set. But then, there was an unexpected setback.
A Surprising Finding
Odesza’s veterinarian at Morgan Hill Veterinary Hospital had performed routine preliminary blood work to ensure that Odesza did not have any obvious health concerns. To her surprise, she identified a blood clotting deficiency that could pose a serious risk during and after an OVH surgical procedure. The deficiency was unusual, and the concern was that one of the factors involved in coagulation was elongated in normal clotting time. This could be due to an underlying problem with clotting factors 8, 9, or 11. Specifically, if the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is elongated and the prothrombin time (PT) is normal then a factor 8, 9, or 11 deficiency in the clotting cascade may be present.
Given this finding, the family veterinarian felt that this procedure should be performed by an experienced veterinary surgeon in a facility where Odesza could be observed and cared for post-operatively, in case she needed additional intervention and supportive care. The veterinarian called several veterinary specialty surgeons at nearby 24-hour specialty and emergency veterinary hospitals looking for help. No one was interested in taking on this case and helping this little soul—that is, until that veterinarian reached us at NPVEC.
NPVEC Answers The Call
The veterinarian on duty at NPVEC called Dr. Sophia Papageorgiou, the Medical Director of NPVEC, to relay the message from Odesza’s veterinarian and insisted that we must help this kitten and veterinarian. Dr. Sophia called and spoke directly with Odesza’s vet, who explained the laboratory findings and her concern that Odesza have the best care possible for an OVH to ensure a positive outcome. Dr. Sophia informed her that we had two highly skilled veterinarians on staff who could safely perform this procedure, as well as blood products on hand in case a transfusion is needed during surgery or post-operatively. One of our veterinarians was a shelter veterinarian who routinely performed very fast, efficient spays with little to no blood loss, and the other veterinarian excelled in soft tissue surgery. Either was capable of performing this procedure with minimal risk to the precious patient.
Dr. Sophia set about reviewing Odesza’s records, discussed the case with the two veterinarians who could perform the spay, and scheduled the surgery for a date in the near future. She then strategized with the NPVEC team to line up a feline blood donor and assigned our most experienced registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) to assist during Odesza’s surgery and perform post-operative care.
Sassy Shenanigans
Odesza, as we mentioned, had grown into quite a sassy little girl. In fact, before her surgery could take place, she escaped the comfort of her new home and was missing for a week! When re-evaluated at her family veterinarian upon her return, suspicion arose that she may have become pregnant while she was on the loose. The veterinarians involved in the case agreed to wait another week and perform an ultrasound at NPVEC to determine whether Odesza was pregnant, at which point we would also check her blood type in case a transfusion was needed. The ultrasound confirmed that she was indeed pregnant, which presented yet another concern: If Odesza was to give birth naturally, her blood clotting deficiency may cause her to lose blood during the birthing process and would endanger her life. With this added complication, it was decided to move Odesza’s OVH surgery to an earlier date.
The Big Day Arrives
On the day of the surgery, the team at NPVEC discussed the procedure and post-operative care with Mr. Park with complete transparency regarding all possible outcomes. He was appreciative that we took extra measures to ensure a positive result for little Odesza and he understood the risks involved. We had our feline blood donor in the hospital ready to provide blood if needed. Odesza was prepped for surgery with an intravenous catheter in place, bloodwork was repeated, monitoring equipment was attached, and our surgery and anesthesia A-team went to work.
Odesza’s anesthesia and surgical procedure could not have gone more smoothly. Everyone provided her with the best surgical care, monitoring, and post-operative care. She recovered nicely from the anesthesia with no blood loss and did not require a transfusion. Out of an abundance of caution, Odesza remained at NPVEC overnight for continued monitoring and she did very well, ate some dinner on her own, and had no bleeding concerns. She returned home the next day with instructions for post-operative care and monitoring, and Mr. Park reported a few days later that her recovery was going great!
Home For Good
Odesza’s story highlights one of our mottos at NPVEC – that we are “the little engine that could.” Though we aren’t the largest facility, we are inherently powerful; our strength comes from within our team where love and care for companion animals, steadfastness to our veterinary oath, perseverance in our medical abilities, and teamwork all prevail. It is this strength that compelled us to answer the call from one of our own in the veterinary community, just when they feared there was nowhere left to turn.
The journey of our luckly little parking lot cat provided a much-needed positive boost for everyone involved, but most importantly for little Odesza herself, who continues to thrive in her loving home. We are grateful that Mr. Park and their family veterinarian entrusted us with Odesza’s care. Our entire NPVEC crew was very happy to participate in her case and to help her owner and family veterinarian.