I had my 6 mo. old male kitten neutered yesterday. Picked him up from the vet and he had a raspy voice -- no meowing. He was on bupinex (morphine) for pain. His heart beat was more than 50 beats per minute and he had this raspy, gurgling. I told the vet and they said to watch him and bring him back in the a.m. I did that but still want to know why would this kitten have this gurgling? I was told the tube (even though it was a baby tube) irritated his esophagus. Hopefully, I'll have my sweet kitty back with no awful sounds. His purr sounds like an engine that needs tuning. Please help. Thanks, JE
Well, we picked up the kitten and he was tired after being at the vet all day. He didn't want to eat kitten food but ate some mashed up turkey. His meow is back but he does sound like he's hacking a hairball sometimes. He's running and jumping and this a.m. with another can of catfood, the two kitties skarfed the food down. I think he's on the mend! Thanks to all of you for helping me out. It's very reassuring. Let me know if I can help you all out with parents, grandparents and the wacky world of Medicare! That's my job! Take care, J.
Dont worry it sounds like he is recovering normally after having the trachea tube removed. Even people have a sore throat and raspy voice after. Just keep him close and quiet and relaxed as best you can to keep down his heart rate. Lots of love and tlc and he should be good as new in a few days.
I am not a vet, but I think I can tell you this from my mother's tubing experience. After having surgery that requires intubation, the throat always gets torn up. My mother sounded like a woman who had been smoking for 100 years after a surgery from the breathing tube. It took like 2 weeks I think for her to get her voice back all the way.
Morphine slows everything down too. Anesthesia and pain killers slow the intestines to the point some people need stool softners after surgery. Combine this effect with the scratched up esophogus and I think it would be a reasonable guess to say the throat is sluggish after being tubed and having the morphine too.
I would make sure your kitten doesn't have fluid in the lungs though. Did your vet listen to his/her chest? If not, maybe you should ask about it and if the office doesn't resspond to you- I would talk to another vet's office for a second opinion.
In fact, you may want to call another vet's office anyways and just ask if your kittens symptoms seem normal, as you are wanting to confirm what your current vet is telling you.
Good luck
These are all normal signs of an irritated eophagus. When a kitty gets tubed the vet ot tech will make sure that the tube is snug so that there is no chance of slippage during the sugry when the kitty is moved from one table to the next (prep/surgery). His heart rate sounds ok for being medicated. Bring him in to your vet if he needs or if you need, but as long as all of his other behaviors are ok he should be fine. Also watch for him licking the area. Some Vets. use surgery glue and some use stiches still and depending which you get the kitty may be able to open them.
I have had a couple of surgerys and the tube hurts my troat alot. I also had a raspy voice as if I were super sick but it was truly just irritated from the tube. Sounds like thats what it is to me.
J.,
I used to work for a vet a long time ago and I can assure you that that tube really does irritate the throat. I would not worry about it unless you notice the kitten not eating or drinking because of the irritation. Good luck!
umm...they shouldn't have put a tube in a cat for a nueter...are you sure thats what they did? I would have to question why...I worked as a vet tech for 5 years and never saw a cat be intubated for a neuter...
no vet tech here, but I have had this happen before too, it is from being intubated, I am sure. Watch him. the other gave very good advice, if he eats and drinks, he should be ok.
Hello, I used to work as a vet tech in a cat hospital, and I can assure you that the tubes, even if they are for kitten size do cause irritation, especially if not lubed correctly. Definitely go in and have the kitten checked again, and make sure they look in the mouth/throat for foreign objects, but it is normal for this to last a few days. Poor little guy. I know my dogs are like that for a day after their dental cleanings as well. Also his appetite, potty rituals and energy level will be good indications as to something else going on. Good luck.
Make him a little bowl of warm chicken broth. It will soothe his boo-boo throat and you can watch and make sure he is drinking. If he does not want to eat, it may be due to the food irritating his throat. Just make sure he takes water/fluids and he should be fine. CB
I too was a vet tech back in the day, and yes, the tube irritates their little throats. Just like Cerise said, as long as he eats and drinks, DON'T WORRY!! It'll go away soon.....
