To recap Baby is about 15-18 yrs old, He was Dx w/Diabetes 3/05 and CHF/HCM
4/05, 8/05 Re-Dx w/RCM/CHF
Main concern here is Potassium for me.
3/19/06
Baby had his 6 mo ECG f/up. Notes his heart disease has stayed the same. The
left ventricle is mildly hypertrophied and the
left atrium is severely enlarged. There is no SAM or thrombi seen on 2-D. The
right ventricle and right atrium are mildly enlarged.
All valves are grossly normal. Contractility is normal?
x-rays: mild diffuse interstitial pattern, venous distension,cardiomegaly
blood test: Bun 33, CRT 1.7, Potassium 3.6.
The cardio vet added a 3rd diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide 1/4 at night. repeat
blood test in one week.
3/25
Test Bun 62 CRT 3.0 Potassium 3.3
Cardio vet told me to keep Baby on new meds and retest in one week, if numbers
same keep on meds, if worse take him off.
3/30
Test Bun 44 CRT 2.9 was told by my vet to leave him on his meds, I should hear
from the cardio vet this Sunday.
Meds:
Baby is on Lasix 18.75 TID, Sprionolactone 6.25 SID, Enalapril 2.5 SID, Aspirin
20 mg EOD, 6.25 Hydrochlorothiazide, insulin BID
Some History
Spiroloactone stopped 9/26/05
Atenolo stoped 12/19/05 do to maybe have been causing him to have breathing
problems (side effect)
Spiroloactone stated again 12/19/06
Hydrochlorot stated 3/19/06 because of mild congestion in xrays to prevent CHF
Left me know if you need more info
Vickie
Beware of ISS/VAS cancer that kills cats! www.vas-awareness.org
Don't give shots in the SCRUFF. www.catshots.com
In memory of Angel ONYX 12/27/02 and Smudge 5/01/04
Beware of Feline Diabetes !!!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
My Chief won the Quarterly so now he will go on to the final in Oct, or Nov.
So that means I won't be asking for votes until then.......lol
I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your time and votes.
You don't know how much this means to me for Chief to be remembered with his
first time first place win at Coco's. You guys are the best internet friends a
person could ever have.
Thanks again from me and Angel Chief
Deb,Bailey & Chief
http://members.tripod.com/debgram-ivil/debsfelinefine/index.html
Pet Birth Certificates http://grahamsgraphics.sphosting.com/cert.html
---------------------------------
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Vickie,
My heart goes out to you and Baby. Those are a lot of illnesses to
manage! His renal values don't look bad. I imagine that giving
diuretics to a cat with CRF must be done with delicacy.
Has your vet advised you about potassium? What complications are you
concerned about regarding supplementation? (diabetes and thrombus?)
I think the low normal for potassium is 3.8 (maybe?) so it's not
horribly out of range.
I have a CRF cat who takes potassium and is doing very well. Hope
that helps!
Robin
--- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "vickie" <VickieJunger@...> wrote:
>
> To recap Baby is about 15-18 yrs old, He was Dx w/Diabetes 3/05 and
CHF/HCM 4/05, 8/05 Re-Dx w/RCM/CHF
> Main concern here is Potassium for me.
>
> 3/19/06
> Baby had his 6 mo ECG f/up. Notes his heart disease has stayed the
same. The left ventricle is mildly hypertrophied and the
> left atrium is severely enlarged. There is no SAM or thrombi seen
on 2-D. The right ventricle and right atrium are mildly enlarged.
> All valves are grossly normal. Contractility is normal?
> x-rays: mild diffuse interstitial pattern, venous
distension,cardiomegaly
> blood test: Bun 33, CRT 1.7, Potassium 3.6.
> The cardio vet added a 3rd diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide 1/4 at
night. repeat blood test in one week.
>
> 3/25
> Test Bun 62 CRT 3.0 Potassium 3.3
> Cardio vet told me to keep Baby on new meds and retest in one week,
if numbers same keep on meds, if worse take him off.
>
> 3/30
> Test Bun 44 CRT 2.9 was told by my vet to leave him on his meds, I
should hear from the cardio vet this Sunday.
>
> Meds:
> Baby is on Lasix 18.75 TID, Sprionolactone 6.25 SID, Enalapril 2.5
SID, Aspirin 20 mg EOD, 6.25 Hydrochlorothiazide, insulin BID
>
> Some History
>
> Spiroloactone stopped 9/26/05
> Atenolo stoped 12/19/05 do to maybe have been causing him to have
breathing problems (side effect)
> Spiroloactone stated again 12/19/06
> Hydrochlorot stated 3/19/06 because of mild congestion in xrays to
prevent CHF
>
>
>
> Left me know if you need more info
>
> Vickie
> Beware of ISS/VAS cancer that kills cats! www.vas-awareness.org
> Don't give shots in the SCRUFF. www.catshots.com
> In memory of Angel ONYX 12/27/02 and Smudge 5/01/04
> Beware of Feline Diabetes !!!
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
I'm concerned about him having kidney problems, no w/this new pill. Also if his
meds have keep being up
how long can his kidneys hang. I'm also concerned that when he was first Dx in
4/05 his K (potassium)
was about 4.7. He is 1 point below normal. I understand when the bdy gets low
on K that it will pull it
from the mussels and that is what also causes the wasting away of the body.
Strange thing is that his last 3 blood test should his GLC to be very high. I
know that stress can cause the
# to go up, but I'm told not as high as his. So I tested him yesterday, and he
had great #. In the morning
12 hrs after inj he was 146. at 12pm he was 215 and at 7pm 274. So I don't know
what is going on. I even
open another thing of strips in case what I had went bad. Or this new pill has
caused him to have lower #
some how. I just don't want him to go hypo on me now, but he eats through out
the day, so I hope he should
be ok.
Vickie
-----------------------------------
Vickie,
My heart goes out to you and Baby. Those are a lot of illnesses to manage! His
renal values don't look bad.
I imagine that giving diuretics to a cat with CRF must be done with delicacy.
Has your vet advised you about potassium? What complications are you concerned
about regarding supplementation?
(diabetes and thrombus?) I think the low normal for potassium is 3.8 (maybe?)
so it's not horribly out of range.
I have a CRF cat who takes potassium and is doing very well. Hopethat helps!
Robin
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Vickie,
It looks like the Enalapril is having some effect on the kidneys but it does
not look that bad. Baby's potassium, however, is too low. I have the same
problem with my Alec, (RCM & CRF) and his potassium. I put Alec on potassium
supplements recently because his numbers were .1 below normal on his blood
tests. You want their potassium number to be in the middle of the range. Below
that, they need potassium. I put Alec on it before my vet told me to, in fact, I
told my vet that I put him on potassium so my vet checked Alec's numbers again
and agreed with me. You have to be sure not to give to much. If you search the
recent posts you will find a website listed that gives help on potassium
dosages. I use the GNC potassium gluconate tablets and then crush them up and
put them in Alec's food. Let me know if you have any other questions. I
definitely think Baby needs supplemented with potassium.
Leah and her cats
vickie <VickieJunger@...> wrote:
To recap Baby is about 15-18 yrs old, He was Dx w/Diabetes 3/05 and CHF/HCM
4/05, 8/05 Re-Dx w/RCM/CHF
Main concern here is Potassium for me.
3/19/06
Baby had his 6 mo ECG f/up. Notes his heart disease has stayed the same. The
left ventricle is mildly hypertrophied and the
left atrium is severely enlarged. There is no SAM or thrombi seen on 2-D. The
right ventricle and right atrium are mildly enlarged.
All valves are grossly normal. Contractility is normal?
x-rays: mild diffuse interstitial pattern, venous distension,cardiomegaly
blood test: Bun 33, CRT 1.7, Potassium 3.6.
The cardio vet added a 3rd diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide 1/4 at night. repeat
blood test in one week.
3/25
Test Bun 62 CRT 3.0 Potassium 3.3
Cardio vet told me to keep Baby on new meds and retest in one week, if numbers
same keep on meds, if worse take him off.
3/30
Test Bun 44 CRT 2.9 was told by my vet to leave him on his meds, I should hear
from the cardio vet this Sunday.
Meds:
Baby is on Lasix 18.75 TID, Sprionolactone 6.25 SID, Enalapril 2.5 SID, Aspirin
20 mg EOD, 6.25 Hydrochlorothiazide, insulin BID
Some History
Spiroloactone stopped 9/26/05
Atenolo stoped 12/19/05 do to maybe have been causing him to have breathing
problems (side effect)
Spiroloactone stated again 12/19/06
Hydrochlorot stated 3/19/06 because of mild congestion in xrays to prevent CHF
Left me know if you need more info
Vickie
Beware of ISS/VAS cancer that kills cats! www.vas-awareness.org
Don't give shots in the SCRUFF. www.catshots.com
In memory of Angel ONYX 12/27/02 and Smudge 5/01/04
Beware of Feline Diabetes !!!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Your reply will go to the author of this message. If you feel your reply will
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi Vickie!
Yeah, I would be concerned about the potassium, too. The fact that it
has gone down is not surprising given his age and the renal failure.
Supplementation is very simple (Leah had some good suggestions); I use
Tumil-K which I get from my vet in pill form. I would definitely talk
to your vet about getting it started.
His kidney values don't really look that bad -- it looks like they
went up initially from the medicine, and then down again, especially
his BUN. For everything that is happening to him it looks like the
CRF is being managed well. The vet seems to be monitoring him
closely. It is anyone's guess how long his kidneys can hang on but
they seem to be OK, and you are definitely doing everything you can to
help!
If his kidneys do worsen, sub-cutaneous IV therapy is an option.
Someone else might know (I don't) if this is contraindicated in CHF.
Enalapril is an ACE-inhibitor; the kidneys can benefit too. My cat
with CRF is on benezepril specifically for her kidneys and doing well.
The higher glucose numbers could be the medicine or just a fluctuation
of the disease. I don't know if diuretics affect diabetes. I can't
tell from your note if he is getting two injections a day (every 12
hours) but if not, he might benefit from having it spread out. If the
high numbers continue, he might need an adjustment in insulin dose to
keep him in balance. Call the vet if they continue to be high.
Good luck!
Robin
--- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "vickie" <VickieJunger@...> wrote:
>
> I'm concerned about him having kidney problems, no w/this new pill.
Also if his meds have keep being up
> how long can his kidneys hang. I'm also concerned that when he was
first Dx in 4/05 his K (potassium)
> was about 4.7. He is 1 point below normal. I understand when the
bdy gets low on K that it will pull it
> from the mussels and that is what also causes the wasting away of
the body.
>
> Strange thing is that his last 3 blood test should his GLC to be
very high. I know that stress can cause the
> # to go up, but I'm told not as high as his. So I tested him
yesterday, and he had great #. In the morning
> 12 hrs after inj he was 146. at 12pm he was 215 and at 7pm 274. So
I don't know what is going on. I even
> open another thing of strips in case what I had went bad. Or this
new pill has caused him to have lower #
> some how. I just don't want him to go hypo on me now, but he eats
through out the day, so I hope he should
> be ok.
>
> Vickie
>
> -----------------------------------
> Vickie,
> My heart goes out to you and Baby. Those are a lot of illnesses to
manage! His renal values don't look bad.
> I imagine that giving diuretics to a cat with CRF must be done with
delicacy.
>
> Has your vet advised you about potassium? What complications are
you concerned about regarding supplementation?
> (diabetes and thrombus?) I think the low normal for potassium is
3.8 (maybe?) so it's not horribly out of range.
>
> I have a CRF cat who takes potassium and is doing very well.
Hopethat helps!
>
> Robin
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Vickie,
I have been reading the Yahoo-CRF boards for many years now and I have read
over and over about potassium. Being below normal is not good, especially
because you will start getting muscle wasting. Alec already had it, noticably,
for years. It started before I knew about his kidneys so all I can do now is try
to prevent more. When the potassium numbers in the blood are below normal than
the cellular level is even lower in the muscles. That is where it is even more
important.
I am not trying to talk you into anything but I would do more research on it,
if I were you. You don't want to get too much potassium, but a low dose for Baby
now, wouldn't do that. A low dose now could only help Baby. My vet didn't
recommend it for Alec either, I had to take the initiative. I have had to do
that a lot with Alec's care in RCM and CRF. And he has benefited from it.
Leah and her cats
vickie <vickiejunger@...> wrote:
Hi
The cardio dr called this afternoon, she doesn't think he needs potassium?
One of his other vets said he really doesn't need any yet, all though she
said I could give have of the 99mg that I have, but seemed she rather me not
give it to him yet. They both seem to think that being .1 below is still
ok. It would be harder on his heart if he gets to high, seems in his case a
bit low is better then risking him getting to high.
This month will be a year he was Dx. I hope it's not coming to an end for
him. I've been trying to watch him today, he hasn't bothered me much
for a fresh can of food, and I haven't seen him drink a lot of water. I don't
know then I open a can of food and he eat a good amt of it, groomed
himself ate some more and finale had some water. The other thing is I tested
his BG 3x yesterday, and his #'s were pretty good, so I'm wondering
on the other hand could he be eating and drinking a bit less cause he has good
BG #'s? or his kidneys. The cardio vet said that I don't need to
take him in for another blood test for 3 mo, unless I feel that something is
wrong. She wants him to stay on his meds. She said his kidney are
handling it ok, even w/the #'s up. At least that is how I took it. Last time
I had a diabetic cat and he started to have good reading, his life was
coming to an end. I hope that isn't the same with Baby.
Vickie
Beware of ISS/VAS cancer that kills cats! www.vas-awareness.org
Don't give shots in the SCRUFF. www.catshots.com
In memory of Angel ONYX 12/27/02 and Smudge 5/01/04
Beware of Feline Diabetes !!!
----- Original Message -----
From: Leah Ferron
To: vickie ; feline-heart@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 2:07 PM
Subject: Re: [FH] update on Baby, need advise
Vickie,
It looks like the Enalapril is having some effect on the kidneys but it does
not look that bad. Baby's potassium, however, is too low. I have the same
problem with my Alec, (RCM & CRF) and his potassium. I put Alec on potassium
supplements recently because his numbers were .1 below normal on his blood
tests. You want their potassium number to be in the middle of the range. Below
that, they need potassium. I put Alec on it before my vet told me to, in fact, I
told my vet that I put him on potassium so my vet checked Alec's numbers again
and agreed with me. You have to be sure not to give to much. If you search the
recent posts you will find a website listed that gives help on potassium
dosages. I use the GNC potassium gluconate tablets and then crush them up and
put them in Alec's food. Let me know if you have any other questions. I
definitely think Baby needs supplemented with potassium.
Leah and her cats
vickie <VickieJunger@...> wrote:
To recap Baby is about 15-18 yrs old, He was Dx w/Diabetes 3/05 and CHF/HCM
4/05, 8/05 Re-Dx w/RCM/CHF
Main concern here is Potassium for me.
3/19/06
Baby had his 6 mo ECG f/up. Notes his heart disease has stayed the same. The
left ventricle is mildly hypertrophied and the
left atrium is severely enlarged. There is no SAM or thrombi seen on 2-D. The
right ventricle and right atrium are mildly enlarged.
All valves are grossly normal. Contractility is normal?
x-rays: mild diffuse interstitial pattern, venous distension,cardiomegaly
blood test: Bun 33, CRT 1.7, Potassium 3.6.
The cardio vet added a 3rd diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide 1/4 at night. repeat
blood test in one week.
3/25
Test Bun 62 CRT 3.0 Potassium 3.3
Cardio vet told me to keep Baby on new meds and retest in one week, if numbers
same keep on meds, if worse take him off.
3/30
Test Bun 44 CRT 2.9 was told by my vet to leave him on his meds, I should hear
from the cardio vet this Sunday.
Meds:
Baby is on Lasix 18.75 TID, Sprionolactone 6.25 SID, Enalapril 2.5 SID, Aspirin
20 mg EOD, 6.25 Hydrochlorothiazide, insulin BID
Some History
Spiroloactone stopped 9/26/05
Atenolo stoped 12/19/05 do to maybe have been causing him to have breathing
problems (side effect)
Spiroloactone stated again 12/19/06
Hydrochlorot stated 3/19/06 because of mild congestion in xrays to prevent CHF
Left me know if you need more info
Vickie
Beware of ISS/VAS cancer that kills cats! www.vas-awareness.org
Don't give shots in the SCRUFF. www.catshots.com
In memory of Angel ONYX 12/27/02 and Smudge 5/01/04
Beware of Feline Diabetes !!!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Your reply will go to the author of this message. If you feel your reply will
benefit the entire group, please change the "To:" line to
feline-heart@yahoogroups.com
---------------------------------
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---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
When I had him as a foster with his siblings, they pretty much
rejected most canned foods except Fancy Feast grilled.
Here's the ingredient list for the grilled chicken: Chicken Broth,
Chicken, Liver, Wheat Gluten, Meat By-Products, Corn Starch-Modified,
Natural and Artificial Flavors, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Soy
Protein Concentrate, Titanium Dioxide, Potassium Chloride, Taurine,
Choline Chloride, Vitamin Supplements (E, A, D3, B12), Thiamin
Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese
Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Niacin, Calcium
Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Copper Sulfate,
Dicalcium Phosphate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex (Source of
Vitamin K Activity) Folic Acid, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodide,
Biotin
He was in permanent foster care for two months elsewhere before I
formally adopted him this weekend. She mentioned that he ate very
little canned food. I have been offering him his old favorite Fancy
Feasts and he is devouring them. I tried in the past to gradually add
Wellness canned foods and they rejected even a small amount of
Wellness (I just donated 40ish cans of Wellness to the rescue group -
this is what I get for buying online before trying it out!)
Given his love for the above, do you guys have any suggestions for a
good quality canned food I can transition him to? He gets Wellness
dry food and I do supplement his canned food with CQ10, fish oil etc,
but I am sure Fancy Feast is not the best choice for him.
Thanks,
Lisa, happy FUREVER mom to Dexter and Gracie
PS He follows me EVERYWHERE but then wanders around to other rooms
crying for his brothers...any idea how long this behavior will
continue or how I can help him with the transition? Though he's five
months older, he nursed with them and was more like another
littermate.
Well it's 2 weeks since my Peemyster left and it's still hard to believe. I
still can't sleep at night thinking that he should be laying on my legs. Thom
doesn't sleep in the beds but if he would sleep with me I might have an easier
time with it.
I also keep seeing flashbacks of Chief dying in front of me, then I wonder if
I took him to our vet to have his blood pressure took, monthly, would it have
showed something so I would notify his cardiologist and she would have told me
to bring him in for his ultrasound sooner.
I love Thom but it's not the same. Even Bailey senses it's not the same
either and I don't think Thom and her are going to be as close as her and Chief
were. Last night I got the bag of Chief's fur out and just smelled it and felt
how soft his fur always was. I'm still waiting on his urn to come in. I can't
seem to bring myself to start his memorial page either. I hope maybe in a month
I can pull myself together and start it.
I'm not doing the bad kitty files this month. Chief was my inspiration and
doing the list right now would make me cry even more than I'm doing now.
Give your babies a big hug and kiss right now because you never know it might
be the last chance you have to do it.
Deb,Bailey & Chief
http://members.tripod.com/debgram-ivil/debsfelinefine/index.html
Pet Birth Certificates http://grahamsgraphics.sphosting.com/cert.html
---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Baby doesn't have CRF, at this time. My cardio vet called on Sun, and told me
to keep him on the new meds,
since his #'s didn't go up, and he is eating and drinking.
I check Baby's BG on Sat and he had good numbers
146 7am
215 12pm
274 7pm
So I don't know why he is so high, and they say that stress wouldn't cause the
numbers they get. On the other
hand maybe he is finally regulated, or the new med is causing low numbers. I
hope he's not going down hill. My
last diabetic cat started having good numbers, and didn't need insulin. He
ended up having cancer, and died about
2mo later.
As for the Potassium, she doesn't think they he is low enough to need it, and
giving it to him, and having his #'s go
up can cause him heart problems. His other vet pretty much told me the same
thing on Sat.
This month will be yr that Baby was Dx, hope he can hang on, past the so call 1
year mark, that they give us.
She told me to watch for him sleeping a lot or, cutting back or stop drinking or
eating, do to the kidneys, which I find odd,
cause my mom has a cat with CRF, and he doesn't have any of this signs.
She wants to see him in 3 mo, told me he doesn't need a blood test, unless I
feel something is wrong.
Thank you
Vickie
Beware of ISS/VAS cancer that kills cats! www.vas-awareness.org
Don't give shots in the SCRUFF. www.catshots.com
In memory of Angel ONYX 12/27/02 and Smudge 5/01/04
Beware of Feline Diabetes !!!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Rosemary and others,
Thanks for the numbers and advice about calories and
weight! I will try to reach Natural Balance and see
what I can find out about calorie content. I'll let
you know...
-Lisa
__________________________________________________
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hi all! next monday mischief goes to get his tests, iam relieved its
gonna get done but iam scared by what they might tell us .they said
its gonna be around $220 but its worth it they said there gonna keep
him over night and i quess the next day we get the tests?
i have a couple of question can a sick cat still act healthy? , like
play run around and act normal?
-chrissy
Chrissy,
Cats are masters when it comes to hiding the fact that they're sick. It's
good that you're having the tests done. It is scary finding out when your
cat is sick, but it's far worse to ignore it. The medications can make a
huge difference. Keep us posted with the results.
Sue
----- Original Message -----
From: "strawberry_swirl2233" <strawberry_swirl2233@...>
To: <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 5:32 AM
Subject: [FH] update on mischief
> hi all! next monday mischief goes to get his tests, iam relieved its
> gonna get done but iam scared by what they might tell us .they said
> its gonna be around $220 but its worth it they said there gonna keep
> him over night and i quess the next day we get the tests?
> i have a couple of question can a sick cat still act healthy? , like
> play run around and act normal?
> -chrissy
>
>
Hi all,
Sorry I'm a bit late with this ... crazy last few weeks.
So, Morsel went in for his neutering last week, and the good news is, they
didn't hear any murmur while he was under anesthesia! So, either what they
heard last month was not a murmur at all or an incidental murmur. Still, to
be on the safe side, we'll be checking him every few months just to be sure.
Thanks to everyone for their words of support and encouragement :)
Lisa, Angel Baby Boy, Thundercat, Minx, and Morsel
--
Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain
responsible forever, for what we have tamed.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Lisa,
That's awesome!
Leah and her cats
Lisa Clarizia <lclarizia@...> wrote:
Hi all,
Sorry I'm a bit late with this ... crazy last few weeks.
So, Morsel went in for his neutering last week, and the good news is, they
didn't hear any murmur while he was under anesthesia! So, either what they
heard last month was not a murmur at all or an incidental murmur. Still, to
be on the safe side, we'll be checking him every few months just to be sure.
Thanks to everyone for their words of support and encouragement :)
Lisa, Angel Baby Boy, Thundercat, Minx, and Morsel
--
Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain
responsible forever, for what we have tamed.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Your reply will go to the author of this message. If you feel your reply will
benefit the entire group, please change the "To:" line to
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---------------------------------
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
First, good luck on the tests. I've never heard of a vet keeping the cat
overnight for tests, but I hadn't heard of a vet keeping a cat overnight for
a spay or neuter either until our first, Kit, walked into our house and made
himself at home.
As to the second part of your question, there are plenty of people on this
list who will give you the same answer I'm going to. Cats are remarkably
good at hiding their illnesses. This is why many times we don't find out
what is going on until it is, or almost is, too late.
A casual observer, not knowing anything about my Butters' heart trouble,
would think she was a very small but healthy cat. She pants when she
breathes, but you really can't tell unless you're either right next to her
or holding her. She is technically in congestive heart failure now, but the
coughing attacks don't come all that freequently and don't last for very
long.
She runs around and plays just like our other cats, is very active. She
does nap a bit more than the others, though.
I know some day she won't have enough energy to look as normal as she does
now, but I'm loving it.
Ruthie and the crew.
Crime doesn't pay... does that mean my job is a crime?
Visit www.ruthieville.com today for your daily dose of me.
----- Original Message -----
From: "strawberry_swirl2233" <strawberry_swirl2233@...>
To: <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 4:32 AM
Subject: [FH] update on mischief
> hi all! next monday mischief goes to get his tests, iam relieved its
> gonna get done but iam scared by what they might tell us .they said
> its gonna be around $220 but its worth it they said there gonna keep
> him over night and i quess the next day we get the tests?
> i have a couple of question can a sick cat still act healthy? , like
> play run around and act normal?
> -chrissy
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your reply will go to the author of this message. If you feel your reply
> will benefit the entire group, please change the "To:" line to
> feline-heart@yahoogroups.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Lisa,
Great news!!!
Sue
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisa Clarizia" <lclarizia@...>
To: "Feline Heart" <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 2:30 PM
Subject: [FH] Morsel Update
> Hi all,
>
> Sorry I'm a bit late with this ... crazy last few weeks.
>
> So, Morsel went in for his neutering last week, and the good news is, they
> didn't hear any murmur while he was under anesthesia! So, either what
they
> heard last month was not a murmur at all or an incidental murmur. Still,
to
> be on the safe side, we'll be checking him every few months just to be
sure.
>
> Thanks to everyone for their words of support and encouragement :)
>
> Lisa, Angel Baby Boy, Thundercat, Minx, and Morsel
>
> --
> Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain
> responsible forever, for what we have tamed.
>
> Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
>
>
Hello Everyone,
I have been lurking on the forum for the last week to try and find
info on saddle thrombosis, which is what our 17 year old Moliere is
currently going through.
He didn't get this suddenly, but it all started with a limp in his
left leg which was first thought to be due to some arthritis in that
leg, but gradually his limp got worse until he also lost strength in
his right leg and was then, after further testing, diagnosed with a
saddle thrombosis. Moliere was put on aspirin and pain killers on
Monday. The vet thought it best to take him home after having spent
most of Monday at the vet, as he was still eating/drinking, even on
Monday morning when he could still walk a little bit. When we got
him home by the evening, he couldn't walk at all anymore. The next
two days were terrible, as he constantly wanted to move around and
needed to go to the litter tray but then couldn't do anything,
resulting in accidents on the floor. When the vet came to see
Moliere on Wednesday, she felt that he had made an improvement
because she could feel a pulse in both legs again. On Monday she
could hardly feel a pulse in his left leg, so she thought that he'd
actually made a lot of progress in two days. To me, it seemed like
he was still the same, and I have been going through emotional hell
trying to deal with this, discussing euthanasia and then holding out
hope, jo-jo-ing from one to the other.
Moliere had hardly slept during these days and nights, but yesterday
(Thursday) he relaxed a lot more and didn't want to move around as
much, just wanted to sleep a lot. It was as if he'd resigned himself
to the fact that going to the litter tray was futile and that it was
best to just let the pee go whenever it needed to. Same with bowel
movement, which he had last night. I've got nappy-like mats from the
vet to put where he lies, and change them when they get too wet.
He now stretches his legs when he sleep and flexes his toes as well,
but when I lift him into a sitting position he falls over a lot and
when he does want to move he drags himself, after which he re-
positions his back legs underneath himself. He seems quite happy in
a way, resigned and not in pain. He eats tiny bits, yoghurt a bites
of tuna or chicken. Not a lot though, but I try all kinds of things
all day.
Does all this sound familiar to anyone who's had a cat going through
this same horrible ordeal? I understand that movement can come back
to the legs, the vet said I should see some improvement in the next
three days.
Thank you for reading, I just needed to find people who have been
going through this and it looks like this might be the place.
Johanna and Moliere
Orkney, Scotland.
Jerry's doctor heard his murmur during his first check up on our drive
home from the animal shelter and the suggested xrays/ultrasound/etc
which led to the HCM diagnosis. I doubt that to this day (2 years
later), without the doctor catching it on a routine check up, I would
have any idea there was anything wrong. He sleeps a lot and takes
frequent breaks during play (he pretends to groom).. but he's a cat!.
His version of coughing is sort of like a dogs reverse sneezing.. and
even his doctor didn't think much of it until after his diagnosis..
Maybe if I had him before he had HCM I would have noticed changes, but I
doubt it.
Six or so months ago one of his rear legs went limp, knowing his heart
condition I knew what was going on.. but he's a little 'special' and
frequently misses jumps or runs into things and hurts himself.. if I
didn't know about his HCM I would have assumed he stubbed his toe or
hurt his foot or something like he had many times before.
I also didn't know anything about HCM before Jerry was diagnosed.. I
wouldn't have even known what to look for.. I can tell you I've turned
into one paranoid cat mommy though.. you sure do learn to watch for tiny
changes.. my other cat Nova was acting weird.. crankier then normal and
seemed a little depressed.. off to the vet we went...and I wasn't
willing to leave it at a standard check up result of "I don't know,
everything seems fine".. it was an expensive diagnosis of "gas" :).
>A casual observer, not knowing anything about my Butters' heart trouble,
>would think she was a very small but healthy cat.
>
Johanna wrote of Moliere:
> Does all this sound familiar to anyone who's had a cat going through
> this same horrible ordeal? I understand that movement can come back
> to the legs, the vet said I should see some improvement in the next
> three days.
I'm brand new here, but thought I'd try to help answer this. My cat
Bastian had saddle thrombosis on March 5th -- lost full use of his
hind end, lost his appetite, had severe lethargy...spent six days in
the vet hospital getting him back on track, in part because they
believed it wasn't thrombosis at the time.
His appetite only returned with the use of appetite stimulant, pepcid,
and easy-stomach high-scent Royal Canin (called Special 33) -- once it
was back, he didn't need those meds anymore, and started recovering
with his hind end a lot faster. Nobody dx'ed the heart issue until
yesterday, but they did find liver cancer, so he has been at home on
prednisolone and buprenorphine (which he has rarely needed).
As of yesterday morning, he *had* recovered his hind end use
completely and was having a great time being spoiled for every little
accomplishment! I have pics of him here from throughout the month:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v178/moggymania/Cats/Bastian/
Yesterday morning was the first recognizable sign that there was a
heart problem... He was napping and just suddenly started having
trouble breathing. Rushed him back to the vet, decided they'd keep
him overnight, and tests revealed last night that it's CHF.
Denise
Bastian (5 yrs) -- liver sarcoma / lymphoma dx 3/10, CHF dx 4/6
Dear All,
I have been waiting to introduce myself and my kitten "Kitten" until
we got the results of his ultrasound. I was referred to this group
through the feline CRF group. Kitten was diagnosed with CRF in
August. Since Kitten was 3 (he is almost 14 now) a heart murmur
could be heard. When he was young it took a bit of contorting to put
him in a spot where it cold be heard. I was always told not to be
concerned and that it was something that may be an issue as he got
older. Well now he is older and has CRF. He has not yet gotten to
the point where he needs fluids. But I understood that a heart
condition could effect his treatment so we went forward with the
ultrasound. The results read as follows:
"Chest Radiograph Findings: Normal Lungs and Heart
Echocardiogram Findings: The muscle around the lower heart chamber
was found to be mildly thickened. It is not offsetting heart
function at this time.
Echocardiogram Diagnosis: Mild Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Treatment Recommendations: No meds are necessary at this time.
However, if this condition progresses, meds may be necessary. Recheck
in 6 months"
Can anyone shed some light on what this really means? I have not
been really happy with the lack of aggressiveness that this vet has
shown with regard to the CRF so I am concerned that we could be doing
something now rather than doing the same "wait and see" routine.
Your input is greatly appreciated.
Nicole & Kitten
Johanna,
This sounds just like what Meridith's cat Monkey went through. I hope
she'll reply to you and talk about her experiences and how she dealt with
it. From what I recall, Monkey is doing just fine now.
If you read through the message archives on the Yahoo group, search for
"Monkey" and you'll find a lot.
Best to you and Moliere.
Sue
----- Original Message -----
From: "zultar1be" <johannapieterman@...>
To: <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 5:17 AM
Subject: [FH] Moliere
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I have been lurking on the forum for the last week to try and find
> info on saddle thrombosis, which is what our 17 year old Moliere is
> currently going through.
................................
>
> Thank you for reading, I just needed to find people who have been
> going through this and it looks like this might be the place.
>
> Johanna and Moliere
> Orkney, Scotland.
>
>
Well went to the vet today for Sim's full check up. She was going to repeat
everything since it has been almost a year since he was diagnosised with
RCM. She noticed his stomach was large which I commented on last month at my
normal check up and they just said he was getting fat. Well he had only gained
3 oz in about 5 weeks, but he has had some increased congestion. So she
tapped his stomach and pulled out a ton of chyle. Has anyone ever heard of
this
in cardiac cats. She said she was very worried that it was cancer or a
lymph node ruptured. She didn't go over much for treatment because she said he
was difficult with the severity of his heart condition. She isn't a
specialist just a general vet so she was having it sent to the labs and calling
the
specialist. I just wanted to check with the experts here on anything else and
if it could be related to his heart or has anyone experienced this.
Bridget
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
She said she didn't think was infection because he was acting so normal and
showing no other sign of infection but she was going to check. From what I
am reading this morning it is just a complication of severe cardiomyopathy.
What ever it is it is really untreatable with the severity of his heart.
Even if his heart was in good condition the prognosis is grave according to
stuff I am reading. Please keep Sim in your prayer.
B
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Johanna,
Welcome to you and Moliere. I am sorry that Moliere has been dealing with this
problem. Don't give up hope on him yet. There are a few cats on this site that
have been through the same thing and have recovered. I hope that you have heard
from their owners. When this crisis passes, always think positively, let us know
and we can give you some advice for dealing with the disease that Moliere has.
If you have any questions, though, do not hesitate to ask us.
Leah and her cats
zultar1be <johannapieterman@...> wrote:
Hello Everyone,
I have been lurking on the forum for the last week to try and find
info on saddle thrombosis, which is what our 17 year old Moliere is
currently going through.
He didn't get this suddenly, but it all started with a limp in his
left leg which was first thought to be due to some arthritis in that
leg, but gradually his limp got worse until he also lost strength in
his right leg and was then, after further testing, diagnosed with a
saddle thrombosis. Moliere was put on aspirin and pain killers on
Monday. The vet thought it best to take him home after having spent
most of Monday at the vet, as he was still eating/drinking, even on
Monday morning when he could still walk a little bit. When we got
him home by the evening, he couldn't walk at all anymore. The next
two days were terrible, as he constantly wanted to move around and
needed to go to the litter tray but then couldn't do anything,
resulting in accidents on the floor. When the vet came to see
Moliere on Wednesday, she felt that he had made an improvement
because she could feel a pulse in both legs again. On Monday she
could hardly feel a pulse in his left leg, so she thought that he'd
actually made a lot of progress in two days. To me, it seemed like
he was still the same, and I have been going through emotional hell
trying to deal with this, discussing euthanasia and then holding out
hope, jo-jo-ing from one to the other.
Moliere had hardly slept during these days and nights, but yesterday
(Thursday) he relaxed a lot more and didn't want to move around as
much, just wanted to sleep a lot. It was as if he'd resigned himself
to the fact that going to the litter tray was futile and that it was
best to just let the pee go whenever it needed to. Same with bowel
movement, which he had last night. I've got nappy-like mats from the
vet to put where he lies, and change them when they get too wet.
He now stretches his legs when he sleep and flexes his toes as well,
but when I lift him into a sitting position he falls over a lot and
when he does want to move he drags himself, after which he re-
positions his back legs underneath himself. He seems quite happy in
a way, resigned and not in pain. He eats tiny bits, yoghurt a bites
of tuna or chicken. Not a lot though, but I try all kinds of things
all day.
Does all this sound familiar to anyone who's had a cat going through
this same horrible ordeal? I understand that movement can come back
to the legs, the vet said I should see some improvement in the next
three days.
Thank you for reading, I just needed to find people who have been
going through this and it looks like this might be the place.
Johanna and Moliere
Orkney, Scotland.
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Not totally untreatable -- you can use Rutin to try and help, it's used to
treat animals with chylothorax. You can get it at GNC for sure, or the
Vitamin Shoppe -- one drawback is you need high doses, and of course it's a
horse pill. I'd give him 500 mg per day to start divided into 2 doses. I
hope that helps!
Lisa
On 4/8/06, Bab006@... <Bab006@...> wrote:
>
> She said she didn't think was infection because he was acting so normal
> and
> showing no other sign of infection but she was going to check. From what
> I
> am reading this morning it is just a complication of severe
> cardiomyopathy.
> What ever it is it is really untreatable with the severity of his heart.
>
> Even if his heart was in good condition the prognosis is grave according
> to
> stuff I am reading. Please keep Sim in your prayer.
> B
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Hi all, I'm new to the list and am trying to figure out all the
abbreviations. Could you do me a favor and spell out the diseases you're
mentioning once in your email? I'm having a hard time figuring out what
everyones' children are suffering from. :)
My cat, Harvey, had dialated cardiomyopathy a couple of years ago... the
kind caused by a lack of taurine. I bought taurine supplements from the
health food store and sprinkle it on his food periodically. It was
amazing how fast his heart recovered. He was on a beta-blocker for a
while but doesn't seem to need it now.
susan
On Sat, 8 Apr 2006 10:10:48 EDT Bab006@... writes:
Well went to the vet today for Sim's full check up. She was going to
repeat
everything since it has been almost a year since he was diagnosised with
RCM. She noticed his stomach was large which I commented on last month
at my
normal check up and they just said he was getting fat. Well he had only
gained
3 oz in about 5 weeks, but he has had some increased congestion. So she
tapped his stomach and pulled out a ton of chyle. Has anyone ever heard
of this
in cardiac cats. She said she was very worried that it was cancer or a
lymph node ruptured. She didn't go over much for treatment because she
said he
was difficult with the severity of his heart condition. She isn't a
specialist just a general vet so she was having it sent to the labs and
calling the
specialist. I just wanted to check with the experts here on anything
else and
if it could be related to his heart or has anyone experienced this.
Bridget
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Your reply will go to the author of this message. If you feel your reply
will benefit the entire group, please change the "To:" line to
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YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
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To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
HCM = Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
RCM = Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
DCM = Dilated Cardiomyopathy
They're all different types of heart disease, and it's important to
know which type a cat has in order to prescribe the best treatment
regimen.
There's a group FAQ that might help. It's at:
http://ca.geocities.com/scrubbrush@rogers.com/feline-
heart/FelineHeartFAQ.html
Sarah.
--- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, sschonew@... wrote:
>
> Hi all, I'm new to the list and am trying to figure out all the
> abbreviations. Could you do me a favor and spell out the diseases
you're
> mentioning once in your email? I'm having a hard time figuring
out what
> everyones' children are suffering from. :)
>
> My cat, Harvey, had dialated cardiomyopathy a couple of years
ago... the
> kind caused by a lack of taurine. I bought taurine supplements
from the
> health food store and sprinkle it on his food periodically. It was
> amazing how fast his heart recovered. He was on a beta-blocker
for a
> while but doesn't seem to need it now.
>
> susan
Hi!
It's been two weeks since Guy became very ill (hiding and having
labored breathing.) He had fluid in his lungs/lung area and the vet
diagnosed him with CHF. (He had been living with mild cardiomyopathy
for a number of years.)
After spending the night in the oxygen chamber and getting a couple of
lasix injections, he came home. At first he was very weak and
lethargic but his heart rate and breathing were OK. Gradually he's
been getting stronger. I had a family emergency and my mother took
care of him for a few days. When I returned, he seemed perkier, and
was even at times acting like his obnoxious self! I was so happy. He
even fights me about his medicine (atenolol and lasix) which is just
fine with me.
I would say he's at about 75% of his old self. He's 12 but a very
young 12, and now he's more like my 14 year old kitty. I still am
very aware that every day is a gift.
Thanks for all the support!
Robin
Hi all. I'm new to this group. Does anyone know of a pet insurance
that covers most aspects of HCM diagnosis & treatments including
yearly echocardiograms ? I really need this in the worst way.
Thanks in advance for any info you can give me.
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