Kitten ilness

Question
We found 7 5? week old kittens that had been dumped on our farm(they were thrown in the cow pen and some had been shot w/bb's),all except the runt seemed pretty healthy for all that they had been through .  We brought the runt(Teddy)and loved all over him(kisses,warmth,food) and he thrived.  He was taken to the vet and given eye ointment for conjunctivitis.  All was good for 7 days and on the 8th, we got home and I went to check on Teddy and he was in a corner and I picked him up and he was dehydrated,not really moving or anything, eyes covered with pus(they had cleared prior to this), within minutes I called vet and before we even left he collapsed and began head pressing.  Fast forwarding Teddy did pass after 48 hours at vet(on antibiotics and fluids, first day he really didn't do any movement and then vet called and said not much change, he said he was thinking CN damage and felt Teddy had become blind, but the vet said he was fighting him and moving quite a bit, then 15 hours later coma and death.  We fell in love with this little guy and I am just tormented.  The vet said that it is low on his list of possibilities but he is checking for rabies( we will know tomorrow) but I know he still had four palpable bb's in him,  I was concerned about lead poisoning but the vet did not want to pursue that, saying bb's now are mostly made out Of steel based?  I just feel like I missed something or didn't do enough, I've never had animal go from playing, eating,drinking to almost dead within6-8 hours.  Have you seen this before?  Sorry so long-

Answer
Michelle,

In all honesty I haven't personally dealt with this situation, but I did live in a rural area where many cats and kittens would be abandoned and I took care of as many as I could. I would suspect that your vet is just covering his bases by testing for rabies, but it is a good idea to have him do so in case that was the issue so that the owners of the other kittens can be warned and the cows can be checked if necessary. In terms of the bb's I would suspect that if rabies wasn't the cause of death a massive infection may have coursed through his body and shut down his system a bit at a time. Overall I do think that this merits a call to your local animal cruelty investigation team so that they can be on the look out for similar incidences and hopefully catch whoever was responsible for this awful act of cruelty. Whether the kitten died of an infection, an issue with his health resulting from neglect or abandonment is hard to say.

I am so very sorry that you have gone through this and yet another precious life has been lost to the cruelty of another human being. I know that this is a tough time, but I have found that when I have lost a kitty who was abandoned, injured or sick (or any combination thereof) I do find it comforting to know that they have been relieved of their suffering and that they are little angels looking down on us and guiding other animals that need help to the last kind place they have been. Having lost many foster pets as well as the occasional one of my own I know how much this hurts, I have found a short but reassuring piece of writing to be very comforting in these situations called the Rainbow Bridge by Paul C. Dahm.


                    The Rainbow Bridge

There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge is a land of meadows, hills and valleys, all of it covered with lush green grass.
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this lovely land. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. There old and frail pets are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole once more. They play all day with each other, content and comfortable.
There is only one thing missing. They are not with the special person who loved them on Earth. So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! Then, the nose twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are staring! You have been seen, and that one suddenly runs from the group!
You take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet.
Then, together, you cross the Rainbow Bridge, never again to be separated.

Written by Paul C. Dahm


While you may never know the answers behind why you lost Teddy so suddenly or why he was with you for such a short time I do hope that you find this comforting. It is important that you remember that Teddy got the chance to know what it was like to be a loved and cared for family pet. I am so sorry that you have lost Teddy. I know that no words or reason can ever really change how much it hurts to lose a pet even if they were only with you for a short time. I hope that you have found this helpful. Take care for now, and if you need any further information or have any other questions please feel free to contact me again.