Peggy

I am sorry that Sprite is gone.  It's certainly difficult, more than difficult,
and at times you just feel like your grief will consume you.  The missing them
is hard because of the joy they brought to every moment of your life while they
were around.  They always take a piece of us with them, and we will never be the
same.

hang in there, it does get better, but you never ever forget or go without a day
of thinking of them.
--
Darlene E. Handley
Mom to Boone the tuxedo kitty - the gremlin head: what a soul he had.  Boone
Esau-Handley: April 2001-Dec 2005. May he rest in peace.  And Spook - 1980 -
1998 - what a journey we had. Both are dearly missed.
http://www.protecttheseals.org

---- Peggy G <peggyg1@...> wrote:
> Too sad to post anything more - Peg
>
>
>

There's a new discount promotion at www.PetFoodDirect.com good for 22% off. 
It's promotion code PET3341 and is good until midnight August 6th (eastern
time).

If you miss that, there's another one good for 18% off until midnight August
8th.  That is promotion code ORDSC1062

Here's the disclaimer:
*This coupon is valid for everything in our store, except: Fish Products, Free
Shipping items, gift certificates, and magazines. One time use per customer. Not
valid outside the Continental United States.


*******
If you'd like me to forward these to you personally whenever I receive them,
please send me a message at susan@...  I'm already doing this for
other people and can add you to my distribution list.  Discounts range from 13%
to 25%



Sue


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kimberly and Q-Tip,
It really depends on your cat.  We've just returned
from a 21 day 3400 mile road trip with our 3 cats.
Albert has been dx with HCM and CRF.  Pequita with CRF
and Tiki is healthy.  The trip was hardest on Tiki my
healthy kitty cause she is scared of her own shadow.
My 2 sick kitties did great.  They are older and just
didn't get excited as long as they got fed and had a
comfy place to sleep.

If Q-Trip travels well and adjusts easily to a new
environment I say take her.  Albert gets daily fluids
and meds 5 x/day.  I just didn't feel comfortable
leaving him that long with anyone else.  They wouldn't
know what was normal for his breathing etc.  And they
wouldn't be with him 24/7.  It is hard to tell how a
kitty is doing based on a 5 or 10 minute visit.

Having a vet referral in the area will give you peace
of mind in case of emergency.  I packed extra meds and
food to cover any foreseeable circumstance.

Good Luck whatever you decide to do.
Sharyl Albert and Pequita

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Hi,

I just became a member, my cat Nosey was diagnosed with Congestive
Heart Failure yesterday. He is 11 years old and has been diabetic for
the past 4 years. I noticed that he was breathing labored in the past
couple of days. He wasn't breathing faster than usual, but
his "flanks" were just going in more than usual. An x-ray showed
fluids in his chest cavity. I took him to a specialist who confirmed
the CHF by way of an echocardiogram. They took 120 ccs of fluids out
of his chest. Vet said his prognosis is guarded. I have to bring him
back in in 10 days and at that point they will check whether he has
more fluid buildup and probably check his heart again. I need to give
him 1/2 pill of Furosemide 2x day, and 1 pill of Enacard once a day.
His bloodwork was clean. They haven't checked for hyperthyroidism yet
but will have those results today. I expect that test to be negative.

His appetite, which is normally excellent, has diminished somewhat,
but he is still eating fairly well, just being pickier than usual. Is
there anything else I need to know about, ask about when I go back to
the vet, what should I expect as far as life expentancy, etc.?

Thanks...

Peg,

   Words and tears can not express my condolences enough. I will say a prayer for
both of your souls to find the comfort you so deserve.

   Leah and her cats and Angel Alec




---------------------------------
Want to be your own boss? Learn how on  Yahoo! Small Business.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I  was wanting to set up a log with information on the cats on the list that
have dilated cardiomyopathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy and  maybe put a
little tale of things that we have learned and usefull information as well.
I'm not trying to exclude HCM cats, but I see tons of information on HCM on
the web and very very little on the other forms of feline heart disease and
was wanting to get more information on those readily available.   Maybe we
can update the FAQ as well.  I am willing to compose and maintain this
log/file myself if people give me their information.  Thanks.  Kimberly

Bridget,

   That is a great idea! I planted a tree in honor of Alec and I often go to it
to talk to him. It is very comforting. I will try to send you something in honor
of Alec. Is your pond in the sun or shade?

   Leah and her cats and Angel Alec




---------------------------------
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls.  Great rates
starting at 1¢/min.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi,

Welcome to the group.  Sorry to hear about Nosey's problem.  You really know
your cat well to have noticed the difference in breathing.  Good work!

It's normal under the circumstances for his appetite to be off a bit.  I
know that's not a good thing - especially for a diabetic.

It sounds like he has pleural effusion - fluid in his chest, but outside his
lungs.  My girl Pepper started to develop that.  She was already on a high
dose of furosemide (20mg 3x daily) for fluid in her lungs when she started
developing the pleural effusion.  They added another diuretic,
spironolactone, and that cleared up the new fluid.  It seems that "spiro"
works better on pleural effusion than furosemide (or lasix).

Another suggestion is to give Nosey some rutin.  The normal dose is 250mg
twice daily either mixed in his food, or melted in water and given with an
oral syringe.  Rutin is good at treating the pleural effusion, especially
when the fluid contains chyle which is the fluid from the lymphatic system.

Note that congestive heart failure is not a disease.  It is a *symptom* of
heart disease.  The echocardiogram should tell the specialist which type of
heart disease he has since each has differences in treatment.  There are
three types of cardiomyopathy - hypertropic, restricted and dialated
cardiomyopathy.  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common.

For any heart disease, there are supplements that can help support heart
health.  The most important is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).  Others are amino acids
l-lysine, l-carnitine and l-taurine.  I've also had great success with
another supplement, TMG.  This helps the cat absorb oxygen more efficiently
which is great for Pepper who also has asthma.

Also, a good-quality canned food diet is very important, but I suspect you
would know a lot about diet because of the diabetes.

I would ask the vet about spironolactone and rutin.  They are both effective
in treating pleural effusion.  You can use both at the same time.  Also, ask
which type of heart disease Nosey has.

As for life expectancy - I never ask.  Personally, I don't want to know and
this is the type of disease where it's all guesswork.  There are cats on
this list who have lived for years with heart disease.  Pepper was diagnosed
in November 2004 although she was showing subtle symptoms for at least 2
years prior to that but nobody could figure it out.  Just take a deep breath
and take care of Nosey!  Go with positive thoughts.



Sue


----- Original Message -----
From: "rainman0307" <rainman0307@...>
To: <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 7:58 AM
Subject: [FH] Marilyn & Nosey


> Hi,
>
> I just became a member, my cat Nosey was diagnosed with Congestive
> Heart Failure yesterday. He is 11 years old and has been diabetic for
> the past 4 years. I noticed that he was breathing labored in the past
> couple of days. He wasn't breathing faster than usual, but
> his "flanks" were just going in more than usual. An x-ray showed
> fluids in his chest cavity. I took him to a specialist who confirmed
> the CHF by way of an echocardiogram. They took 120 ccs of fluids out
> of his chest. Vet said his prognosis is guarded. I have to bring him
> back in in 10 days and at that point they will check whether he has
> more fluid buildup and probably check his heart again. I need to give
> him 1/2 pill of Furosemide 2x day, and 1 pill of Enacard once a day.
> His bloodwork was clean. They haven't checked for hyperthyroidism yet
> but will have those results today. I expect that test to be negative.
>
> His appetite, which is normally excellent, has diminished somewhat,
> but he is still eating fairly well, just being pickier than usual. Is
> there anything else I need to know about, ask about when I go back to
> the vet, what should I expect as far as life expentancy, etc.?
>
> Thanks...
>
>

Pepper was diagnosed in November 2004 although she was showing subtle
symptoms for at least 2  years prior to that but nobody could figure it out.

***I think Q-tip had symptoms but for the life of me I cannot remember
exactly when.  I think it was June or July of 2005 right after she had her
shots I thought she was breathing much harder than normal, but when I called
the village idiot of vets I had at the time, he told me it was probably her
Feline Leuk shot and to watch her for the rest of the day.  I think the
breathing stabilized and all was forgotten for  about 8 months ......
  Then she has her funny coughing spells with no energy starting around
Christmas of 2005... The things we see when we look back.









.

_,___



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

---

my deepest condolences..........I am so sorry.

In sympathy
Cathy

In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@...> wrote:
>
> Too sad to post anything more - Peg
>

Marilyn,

   Welcome to you and Nosey! Although I am sorry to hear of Nosey condition, I am
glad you found this group. We have lots of information to give you as you can
probably tell from Sue's posting. I, too, recommend that you give Nosey
supplements especially the CoQ10! If you want specifics on how much and where to
get them, just let us know. It would be helpful if you let us know what kind of
heart disease Nosey has, as each is very different.

   It is understandable that you want to know what life expectancy you are
looking at. However, we can't give you an answer. It depends on the kitty,
owner, type of cardiomyopathy, advancement, food, etc. One thing I can tell you
is don't listen to what you are told by the vet or what you read. I don't want
to scare you but I think you should know that some kitties don't live that long
after diagnosis and some live many years. If you give supplements and are
attentive to your kitty's needs, you will have Nosey around longer than if you
didn't. My Alec had RCM (the worst of the 3) and he was given no chance of
survival after diagnosis, they told me to put him to sleep. I gave supplements,
lots of love and was very attentive to his symptoms and I had him with me 10
wonderful months of a happy kitty who didn't know he was sick. Alec's heart was
really a mess from diagnosis and every vet & cardiologist that saw him was
amazed he lived as long as he did. He had spunk too that
  really helped keeping him going. There are many kitties in this group that have
done very well for years and years on meds and supplements. So you just never
know.

   My suggestion is to love Nosey as much as you can for as long as you can and
don't worry about what tomorrow may bring. If you get stressed, Nosey will
notice and get stressed as well. So just try to take things as they come. I know
that is easier said than done but we are here for you. Don't be shy about asking
any question you may have  even if it isn't heart related because it just might
be!

   Leah and her cats and Angel Alec




---------------------------------
Want to be your own boss? Learn how on  Yahoo! Small Business.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

It was very frustrating.  There was nothing specific wrong with Pepper -
just that she wasn't "right".  She had less energy, but I don't ever
remember anything specific other than that.  She did have open-mouth
breathing after a vet visit that I attributed to stress.  She didn't do it
again until about a year later when she went into CHF (misdiagnosed as
pneumonia).  It was another six months later that they finally figured it
out.  In between those two episodes she had major surgery to remove a tumor
from rabies vaccinosis.  I'm SO lucky she is still with me.

Now I know to be more observant of what symptoms an animal is showing and
push to see a specialist if my regular vet can't figure it out.


Sue


----- Original Message -----
From: "Cannon,Kimberly" <kimberly.cannon@...>
To: "Sue at MAGDRL" <susan@...>; "Feline Heart"
<feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 12:22 PM
Subject: [FH] Symptoms


> Pepper was diagnosed in November 2004 although she was showing subtle
> symptoms for at least 2  years prior to that but nobody could figure it
out.
>
> ***I think Q-tip had symptoms but for the life of me I cannot remember
> exactly when.  I think it was June or July of 2005 right after she had her
> shots I thought she was breathing much harder than normal, but when I
called
> the village idiot of vets I had at the time, he told me it was probably
her
> Feline Leuk shot and to watch her for the rest of the day.  I think the
> breathing stabilized and all was forgotten for  about 8 months ......
>  Then she has her funny coughing spells with no energy starting around
> Christmas of 2005... The things we see when we look back.
>
>

Thanks guys....I think the vet said he had HCM, but I can't be sure.
I will ask though. I will also ask about spiro when I go back on the
14th. Should I ask about that regardless of whether he has fluid
build-up again, i.e., even if the furo is working, should I add
spiro, or replace the furo? Also, what about the enzymes to
strenghten his heart? Isn't that what the Enacard is doing? If not,
what is it doing?

He is already on a good quality canned diet (although I will give him
dry food when he stops eating - gotta do what you gotta do). He also
loves shrimp and veal so I'm always able to get some food into him no
matter what. His diabetes is controlled beautifully with minimal
effort, so at least we have that going for us. I went through hell
trying to get his diabetes regulated, found that vets know very
little, almost gave up, then joined the Feline Diabetes Message Board
and it's been smooth sailing ever since, so I am definitely going to
take all of your advice into consideration and do the best I can with
it.















--- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, Leah Ferron <leahandhercats@...>
wrote:
>
> Marilyn,
>
>   Welcome to you and Nosey! Although I am sorry to hear of Nosey
condition, I am glad you found this group. We have lots of
information to give you as you can probably tell from Sue's posting.
I, too, recommend that you give Nosey supplements especially the
CoQ10! If you want specifics on how much and where to get them, just
let us know. It would be helpful if you let us know what kind of
heart disease Nosey has, as each is very different.
>
>   It is understandable that you want to know what life expectancy
you are looking at. However, we can't give you an answer. It depends
on the kitty, owner, type of cardiomyopathy, advancement, food, etc.
One thing I can tell you is don't listen to what you are told by the
vet or what you read. I don't want to scare you but I think you
should know that some kitties don't live that long after diagnosis
and some live many years. If you give supplements and are attentive
to your kitty's needs, you will have Nosey around longer than if you
didn't. My Alec had RCM (the worst of the 3) and he was given no
chance of survival after diagnosis, they told me to put him to sleep.
I gave supplements, lots of love and was very attentive to his
symptoms and I had him with me 10 wonderful months of a happy kitty
who didn't know he was sick. Alec's heart was really a mess from
diagnosis and every vet & cardiologist that saw him was amazed he
lived as long as he did. He had spunk too that
>  really helped keeping him going. There are many kitties in this
group that have done very well for years and years on meds and
supplements. So you just never know.
>
>   My suggestion is to love Nosey as much as you can for as long as
you can and don't worry about what tomorrow may bring. If you get
stressed, Nosey will notice and get stressed as well. So just try to
take things as they come. I know that is easier said than done but we
are here for you. Don't be shy about asking any question you may
have  even if it isn't heart related because it just might be!
>
>   Leah and her cats and Angel Alec
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Want to be your own boss? Learn how on  Yahoo! Small Business.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

I have been a member of the group for several months and would like
to thank everyone for all the knowledge and insight I have gained.
Our precious cat Puddy died on Sunday. He was diagnosed with severe
HCM approximately four years ago and at the time was given six months
to one year to live. The doctor believes he was probably born with
the disease. Through the help of his wonderful cardiologist,
marvelous homeopathic doctor, and lots and lots of love and care he
lived to be almost nine. In January he had a bout of arrythmia and
was hospitalized. At the same time his condition began to
deteriorate and fluid began to accumulate outside his lungs, despite
increased doses of Lasix. The cardiologist advised that it was time
to start thinking about euthanasia. We began bringing him in to have
his chest tapped every seven to nine days. He continued to slow down
but enjoyed a good quality of life until the last few weeks. He
became very mopey and would sit around most of the day with little
interest in doing anything. He had also lost a lot of weight since
developing the arrythmias, going from a very chubby 20 pounds to
about 12. He continued to enjoy his food but due to his condition
would eat only small amounts at a time. We continued to work with
the cardiologist and the homeopathic doctor to try to increase his
quality of life. Last Wednesday he began to cry when using the
litter box. They found that he had impacted stool and was
hospitalized under the care of his cardiologist, and given small
doses of enemas while they monitored his fluid and breathing. We
were told he was eating and feeling well and brought him home on
Friday. He would not eat when we brought him home, which was odd
since he was eating there. He was also extremely tired but otherwise
seemed normal. We were in touch with the homeopathic doctor, as it
was the weekend and the cardiologist was out of town. He advised
that we let him rest up for a day and see how he does. Saturday
night he began eating, although he would only eat liquid such as baby
food. He also began walking around the house which he had not been
doing much, although his feet were somewhat weak. They had been weak
for some time due to the weight loss and low blood pressure (a result
of atenolol and enalapril)so we did not think it was odd that they
were slightly weaker following the hospitalization. On Sunday
morning he was hiding under the bed (very common for him). We
checked on him and he looked fine. Suddenly we heard a cry. We
brought him out from under the bed. He looked fine and was able to
walk from room to room, although he was weak and slightly wobbly. He
did not cry again and we called the homeopathic doctor, who advised
that we observe him for a while. He seemed OK. Then he suddenly got
up and walked into another room and collapsed. His tongue was
sticking out slightly and his breathing was shallow, with
intermittent sighing. At that point we knew there was no time to get
him to the hospital. We called the homeopathic doctor (who is also
an excellent traditional vet) and he started right over as he only
lives about five minutes away. When he arrived it was too late. Our
wonderful little boy was gone. We are heartsick and cannot stop
crying. What is making it even worse is the nagging questions about
what happened. While we realize his disease was very severe we
cannot help but wonder whether something else could have been done,
and what ultimately caused his death (a blood clot or arrythmias)?
If anyone has any experience that they can share that would shed any
light it would be greatly appreciated. Again thank you for all the
insights and I will continue to be part of the group and hope I can
help someone with my experience.

If you meant this post as humorous - it isn't.  No living creature is
replaceable each has its own personality.  If someone lost a friend I sincerely
hope you wouldn't tell them to grow up and find another
   -------------------
   I'm deeply sorry for your loss.  You have to realize that at the end
of the day, cats are quite replacable.  You could go get a new kitty
from the newspaper.  I've had a lot of cats this year, but I've never
been too sad to post on Yahoo.  You need to grow up a little.  It's
just a cat, with a stupid name.  Sprite...LOL   Lewis
--- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@...> wrote:
>
> Too sad to post anything more - Peg
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I am so sorry.  You have my deepest condolences on the loss of your precious
Puddy.

Candace with Cinnamon and Skylar


On 8/4/06, sunlightjs1 <goldstein.js@...> wrote:
>
> I have been a member of the group for several months and would like
> to thank everyone for all the knowledge and insight I have gained.
> Our precious cat Puddy died on Sunday. He was diagnosed with severe
> HCM approximately four years ago and at the time was given six months
> to one year to live. The doctor believes he was probably born with
> the disease. Through the help of his wonderful cardiologist,
> marvelous homeopathic doctor, and lots and lots of love and care he
> lived to be almost nine. In January he had a bout of arrythmia and
> was hospitalized. At the same time his condition began to
> deteriorate and fluid began to accumulate outside his lungs, despite
> increased doses of Lasix. The cardiologist advised that it was time
> to start thinking about euthanasia. We began bringing him in to have
> his chest tapped every seven to nine days. He continued to slow down
> but enjoyed a good quality of life until the last few weeks. He
> became very mopey and would sit around most of the day with little
> interest in doing anything. He had also lost a lot of weight since
> developing the arrythmias, going from a very chubby 20 pounds to
> about 12. He continued to enjoy his food but due to his condition
> would eat only small amounts at a time. We continued to work with
> the cardiologist and the homeopathic doctor to try to increase his
> quality of life. Last Wednesday he began to cry when using the
> litter box. They found that he had impacted stool and was
> hospitalized under the care of his cardiologist, and given small
> doses of enemas while they monitored his fluid and breathing. We
> were told he was eating and feeling well and brought him home on
> Friday. He would not eat when we brought him home, which was odd
> since he was eating there. He was also extremely tired but otherwise
> seemed normal. We were in touch with the homeopathic doctor, as it
> was the weekend and the cardiologist was out of town. He advised
> that we let him rest up for a day and see how he does. Saturday
> night he began eating, although he would only eat liquid such as baby
> food. He also began walking around the house which he had not been
> doing much, although his feet were somewhat weak. They had been weak
> for some time due to the weight loss and low blood pressure (a result
> of atenolol and enalapril)so we did not think it was odd that they
> were slightly weaker following the hospitalization. On Sunday
> morning he was hiding under the bed (very common for him). We
> checked on him and he looked fine. Suddenly we heard a cry. We
> brought him out from under the bed. He looked fine and was able to
> walk from room to room, although he was weak and slightly wobbly. He
> did not cry again and we called the homeopathic doctor, who advised
> that we observe him for a while. He seemed OK. Then he suddenly got
> up and walked into another room and collapsed. His tongue was
> sticking out slightly and his breathing was shallow, with
> intermittent sighing. At that point we knew there was no time to get
> him to the hospital. We called the homeopathic doctor (who is also
> an excellent traditional vet) and he started right over as he only
> lives about five minutes away. When he arrived it was too late. Our
> wonderful little boy was gone. We are heartsick and cannot stop
> crying. What is making it even worse is the nagging questions about
> what happened. While we realize his disease was very severe we
> cannot help but wonder whether something else could have been done,
> and what ultimately caused his death (a blood clot or arrythmias)?
> If anyone has any experience that they can share that would shed any
> light it would be greatly appreciated. Again thank you for all the
> insights and I will continue to be part of the group and hope I can
> help someone with my experience.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I didn't see the original post from Lewis but I feel it is cruel and
heartless.  This group is here for support - not to belittle and demean
people who are in pain.

I suggest that Lewis resign from this group as the spirit of his message is
not at all within the spirit of our group.


Sue


----- Original Message -----
From: "Peggy" <peggyg1@...>
To: <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 5:32 PM
Subject: [FH] Re: Sprite died this morning - now Sorrow for losing a cat is
not immature


> If you meant this post as humorous - it isn't.  No living creature is
replaceable each has its own personality.  If someone lost a friend I
sincerely hope you wouldn't tell them to grow up and find another
>   -------------------
>   I'm deeply sorry for your loss.  You have to realize that at the end
> of the day, cats are quite replacable.  You could go get a new kitty
> from the newspaper.  I've had a lot of cats this year, but I've never
> been too sad to post on Yahoo.  You need to grow up a little.  It's
> just a cat, with a stupid name.  Sprite...LOL   Lewis
> --- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@...> wrote:
> >
> > Too sad to post anything more - Peg
> >
>

i too did not see the original post, it must have been deleted or
sent directly to peg. flaming and demeaning someone is childish so
lewis you are the one who needs to grow up and get some compassion
while you are at it. we are in this group to gather information
about this terrible disease that is affecting our beloved companions
and to support each other. no one is disposable or replaceable. once
in your heart always in your heart if you have one. your cruelty
disgusts me. i hope you are banned because no one in this group
needs your kind of "support".

katy & belle





In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, Sue at MAGDRL <susan@...> wrote:
>
> I didn't see the original post from Lewis but I feel it is cruel
and
> heartless.  This group is here for support - not to belittle and
demean
> people who are in pain.
>
> I suggest that Lewis resign from this group as the spirit of his
message is
> not at all within the spirit of our group.
>
>
> Sue
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peggy" <peggyg1@...>
> To: <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 5:32 PM
> Subject: [FH] Re: Sprite died this morning - now Sorrow for losing
a cat is
> not immature
>
>
> > If you meant this post as humorous - it isn't.  No living
creature is
> replaceable each has its own personality.  If someone lost a
friend I
> sincerely hope you wouldn't tell them to grow up and find another
> >   -------------------
> >   I'm deeply sorry for your loss.  You have to realize that at
the end
> > of the day, cats are quite replacable.  You could go get a new
kitty
> > from the newspaper.  I've had a lot of cats this year, but I've
never
> > been too sad to post on Yahoo.  You need to grow up a little.
It's
> > just a cat, with a stupid name.  Sprite...LOL   Lewis
> > --- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Too sad to post anything more - Peg
> > >
> >
>

How heartless and cruel you are Lewis sending Peg a private email like
that. I too agree with all the others that you should resign from this
group.  You do not belong here.  You need to grow up a lot and get a heart.


On 8/4/06, Peggy <peggyg1@...> wrote:
>
> If you meant this post as humorous - it isn't.  No living creature is
> replaceable each has its own personality.  If someone lost a friend I
> sincerely hope you wouldn't tell them to grow up and find another
> -------------------
> I'm deeply sorry for your loss.  You have to realize that at the end
> of the day, cats are quite replacable.  You could go get a new kitty
> from the newspaper.  I've had a lot of cats this year, but I've never
> been too sad to post on Yahoo.  You need to grow up a little.  It's
> just a cat, with a stupid name.  Sprite...LOL   Lewis
> --- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@...> wrote:
> >
> > Too sad to post anything more - Peg
> >
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Everyone:  I have a 14 year old male Snowshoe named Choobs (this
is his nick name - original name was Felix).  Over 3 months ago I
noticed he was losing weight.  I brought him to the vet and they
immediately diagnosed him as being hyperthyroid.  Every year, I have
brought him in and had a full panel blood test, so I assumed that
the hyperthyroid condition was fairly recent, and the vet (whom I
trust a great deal), indicated that I had caught it early.  I was
going to consider radiotherapy when my vet did further tests so
Choobs could be accepted for this treatment including a chest xray.
Unfortunately the chest xray showed an enlarged heart.  I decided to
hold off on the radiotherapy and the vet prescribed daily dosages of
methimazole.  At my next appointment a month later the blood tests
revealed that the hyperthyroid was under control, but his heart
still seemed enlarged.  They then prescribed Atenolol and baby
aspirin (1/4 every 4 days).  In my next follow up a month later the
heart had become more enlarged and therefore my vet ruled out that
the hyperthyroid condition was causing the heart enlargement.  She
diagnosed him as having heart disease,  the "restrictive" type.  She
then added daily dosages of Enalapril.   It has been about 2 weeks
since my last appointment and Choobs is doing ok, but I have noticed
that he seems a bit distant/lethargic.  He sometimes just sits by
his bowl and seems to be "zoned out".  We give him his pills using
pill pockets which has gone well but last night he didn't want all
of them.  This morning we had the same problem, only getting him to
take 1/2 of his daily dosage.  He also stands a little funny now, a
little bowlegged in the front and looks a little hunched over
sometimes.

I'm wondering if others have cats with the hyperthyroid/heart
disease combination with the same medication and the behavior I
describe seems familiar?  It doesn't appear that Choobs is breathing
heavily.  He has always been a good eater, but is recently less
interested in his food.

Any advice, insight?  Thanks in advance.

Melissa

Hi Melissa,

Welcome to the group, you will find a lot of helpful information here from
wonderful people.

I can only tell you from my experience.  I have a HyperT kitty who also
hunched over her water dish and zoned out like she was falling asleep.  It
was nausea in her case from her Methimazole dose being to high.  Once her
dose was lowered she never did it again.  Have you noticed any lipsmacking
or constipation - those are also signs of nausea that she had.

My other kitty was on Methimazole and Atenolol and started having
nausea/inappetance. He just didn't want to eat that much anymore and started
losing more weight.  He is off the Atenolol for a trial run to see if he
gains some weight back.  He is on anti nausea medicine now and the
Transdermal Methimazole ear gel.  The ear gel has less GI effects.  Maybe
the combination of the medicines are having too strong an effect and making
him nauseous.

Hope this helps,

Candace with Cinnamon and Skylar



On 8/4/06, noel_94306 <noel_94306@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Everyone:  I have a 14 year old male Snowshoe named Choobs (this
> is his nick name - original name was Felix).  Over 3 months ago I
> noticed he was losing weight.  I brought him to the vet and they
> immediately diagnosed him as being hyperthyroid.  Every year, I have
> brought him in and had a full panel blood test, so I assumed that
> the hyperthyroid condition was fairly recent, and the vet (whom I
> trust a great deal), indicated that I had caught it early.  I was
> going to consider radiotherapy when my vet did further tests so
> Choobs could be accepted for this treatment including a chest xray.
> Unfortunately the chest xray showed an enlarged heart.  I decided to
> hold off on the radiotherapy and the vet prescribed daily dosages of
> methimazole.  At my next appointment a month later the blood tests
> revealed that the hyperthyroid was under control, but his heart
> still seemed enlarged.  They then prescribed Atenolol and baby
> aspirin (1/4 every 4 days).  In my next follow up a month later the
> heart had become more enlarged and therefore my vet ruled out that
> the hyperthyroid condition was causing the heart enlargement.  She
> diagnosed him as having heart disease,  the "restrictive" type.  She
> then added daily dosages of Enalapril.   It has been about 2 weeks
> since my last appointment and Choobs is doing ok, but I have noticed
> that he seems a bit distant/lethargic.  He sometimes just sits by
> his bowl and seems to be "zoned out".  We give him his pills using
> pill pockets which has gone well but last night he didn't want all
> of them.  This morning we had the same problem, only getting him to
> take 1/2 of his daily dosage.  He also stands a little funny now, a
> little bowlegged in the front and looks a little hunched over
> sometimes.
>
> I'm wondering if others have cats with the hyperthyroid/heart
> disease combination with the same medication and the behavior I
> describe seems familiar?  It doesn't appear that Choobs is breathing
> heavily.  He has always been a good eater, but is recently less
> interested in his food.
>
> Any advice, insight?  Thanks in advance.
>
> Melissa
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Melissa,

Hello & welcome to the group.  I love his name - Choobs - so cute!

I have no experience with hyper-T but when my Pepper first started out on
enalapril & atenolol, they made her a bit lethargic.  Both of them lower the
blood pressure so it's possible that he's just getting used to his
medications.  Has the vet checked his blood pressure to make sure it's not
too low?

Is he retaining any fluids?  If so, he should also be on a diuretic -
usually lasix or the generic furosemide.

You can read up on side-effects of medications at this web site (link is in
the group links section)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html

Go to the drug name and click on the "MedMaster" link.  As Candace said,
many drugs will make a cat nauseous - especially the aspirin.


Sue


----- Original Message -----
From: "noel_94306" <noel_94306@...>
To: <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 9:34 PM
Subject: [FH] Choobs


> Hi Everyone:  I have a 14 year old male Snowshoe named Choobs (this
> is his nick name - original name was Felix).  Over 3 months ago I
> noticed he was losing weight.  I brought him to the vet and they
> immediately diagnosed him as being hyperthyroid.  Every year, I have
> brought him in and had a full panel blood test, so I assumed that
> the hyperthyroid condition was fairly recent, and the vet (whom I
> trust a great deal), indicated that I had caught it early.  I was
> going to consider radiotherapy when my vet did further tests so
> Choobs could be accepted for this treatment including a chest xray.
> Unfortunately the chest xray showed an enlarged heart.  I decided to
> hold off on the radiotherapy and the vet prescribed daily dosages of
> methimazole.  At my next appointment a month later the blood tests
> revealed that the hyperthyroid was under control, but his heart
> still seemed enlarged.  They then prescribed Atenolol and baby
> aspirin (1/4 every 4 days).  In my next follow up a month later the
> heart had become more enlarged and therefore my vet ruled out that
> the hyperthyroid condition was causing the heart enlargement.  She
> diagnosed him as having heart disease,  the "restrictive" type.  She
> then added daily dosages of Enalapril.   It has been about 2 weeks
> since my last appointment and Choobs is doing ok, but I have noticed
> that he seems a bit distant/lethargic.  He sometimes just sits by
> his bowl and seems to be "zoned out".  We give him his pills using
> pill pockets which has gone well but last night he didn't want all
> of them.  This morning we had the same problem, only getting him to
> take 1/2 of his daily dosage.  He also stands a little funny now, a
> little bowlegged in the front and looks a little hunched over
> sometimes.
>
> I'm wondering if others have cats with the hyperthyroid/heart
> disease combination with the same medication and the behavior I
> describe seems familiar?  It doesn't appear that Choobs is breathing
> heavily.  He has always been a good eater, but is recently less
> interested in his food.
>
> Any advice, insight?  Thanks in advance.
>
> Melissa
>
>

Peggy,
I'm so sorry you had to read that!  What a miserable person.  I send my
condolences privately but not because I don't want anyone else to see them.  I
hope the list owner bans him before he can hurt anyone else.
Shannon
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: Peggy
   To: feline-heart@yahoogroups.com
   Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 4:32 PM
   Subject: [FH] Re: Sprite died this morning - now Sorrow for losing a cat is
not immature


   If you meant this post as humorous - it isn't. No living creature is
replaceable each has its own personality. If someone lost a friend I sincerely
hope you wouldn't tell them to grow up and find another
   -------------------
   I'm deeply sorry for your loss. You have to realize that at the end
   of the day, cats are quite replacable. You could go get a new kitty
   from the newspaper. I've had a lot of cats this year, but I've never
   been too sad to post on Yahoo. You need to grow up a little. It's
   just a cat, with a stupid name. Sprite...LOL Lewis
   --- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@...> wrote:
   >
   > Too sad to post anything more - Peg
   >

   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'm sorry about Puddy.  My Sockster was on his medicine and fine and
one morning he started breathing a little harder as I thought it was
from the heat and made him come in. He had jumped up on the table and
got his medicine and treat and went out in his little yard. In about a
half hour he got worse and we rushed him to the vets in 5 min and she
worked on him 45 min and he went into cardiac arrest and died. Like you
said. I wish we had gone sooner but he really didn't seem he was in
trouble then. We lost our boy so fast too. I think his heart gave out.
I go over the whys so much too you cant bring them back try to get over
it. It sounds like you did so much. Hugs Janie

I usually send my condolences off list as well.  I don't recall seeing this
Lewis person before.  I imagine it's some idiot with nothing better to do
than flame people in pain.

Which says a lot about Lewis, doesn't it?  There must be very little love or
happiness in his life.  And you know something, Lewis?  There's a reason why
you have no friends and why nobody loves you.

With any luck he'll never see this because Diane will have already kicked
him off the list.  Jackass.  Peg, I'm so sorry you got this.

Lisa


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi All,

I think I need to clarify my previous post.  I also send private condolences
as well as on the group. I* did not* mean to imply that Lewis sending a
private email was wrong.
I meant to say to Lewis that sending Peg any email saying the things he said
to her was heartless and cruel.  When I said "a private email like that" I
meant of what he wrote to her in his email, (not that it was a private
email).

Thanks ,

Candace with Cinnamon and Skylar



On 8/4/06, moonpye <moonpye@...> wrote:
>
>  How heartless and cruel you are Lewis sending Peg a private email like
> that. I too agree with all the others that you should resign from this
> group.  You do not belong here.  You need to grow up a lot and get a heart.
>
>
>  On 8/4/06, Peggy <peggyg1@...> wrote:
>
> > If you meant this post as humorous - it isn't.  No living creature is
> > replaceable each has its own personality.  If someone lost a friend I
> > sincerely hope you wouldn't tell them to grow up and find another
> > -------------------
> > I'm deeply sorry for your loss.  You have to realize that at the end
> > of the day, cats are quite replacable.  You could go get a new kitty
> > from the newspaper.  I've had a lot of cats this year, but I've never
> > been too sad to post on Yahoo.  You need to grow up a little.  It's
> > just a cat, with a stupid name.  Sprite...LOL   Lewis
> > --- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@...> wrote:
> > >
> > > Too sad to post anything more - Peg
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

For all our kitties,


Not flesh of my flesh
Nor bone of my bone
But still miraculously my own
Never forget for a single moment
You were not born under my heart
but in it....

by Fleur Conkling Heylinger



*The Gift of Life*

I didn't give you the gift of life,
But in my heart I know.
The love I feel is deep and real,
As if it had been so.
For us to have each other
Is like a dream come true!
No, I didn't give you
The gift of life,
Life gave me the gift of you.



  I believe the above is how most of us feel about all our kitties.



  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
  is for good people to do nothing.

  Edmund Burke




Candace with Cinnamon and Skylar


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Go, Candace, Go!

I love the affirming nature of these verses!

-Nala, Camille and Cozette

--- moonpye <moonpye@...> wrote:

> For all our kitties,
>
>
> Not flesh of my flesh
> Nor bone of my bone
> But still miraculously my own
> Never forget for a single moment
> You were not born under my heart
> but in it....
>
> by Fleur Conkling Heylinger
>
>
>
> *The Gift of Life*
>
> I didn't give you the gift of life,
> But in my heart I know.
> The love I feel is deep and real,
> As if it had been so.
> For us to have each other
> Is like a dream come true!
> No, I didn't give you
> The gift of life,
> Life gave me the gift of you.
>
>
>
>  I believe the above is how most of us feel about
> all our kitties.
>
>
>
>  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
>  is for good people to do nothing.
>
>  Edmund Burke
>
>
>
>
> Candace with Cinnamon and Skylar
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Candace,

Thank you for posting these!!!  This sets our karma back to the good side.


Sue


----- Original Message -----
From: "moonpye" <moonpye@...>
To: "Feline Heart" <feline-heart@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 6:01 PM
Subject: [FH] OT: To Our Kitties


> For all our kitties,
>
>
> Not flesh of my flesh
> Nor bone of my bone
> But still miraculously my own
> Never forget for a single moment
> You were not born under my heart
> but in it....
>
> by Fleur Conkling Heylinger
>
>
>
> *The Gift of Life*
>
> I didn't give you the gift of life,
> But in my heart I know.
> The love I feel is deep and real,
> As if it had been so.
> For us to have each other
> Is like a dream come true!
> No, I didn't give you
> The gift of life,
> Life gave me the gift of you.
>
>
>
>  I believe the above is how most of us feel about all our kitties.
>
>
>
>  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
>  is for good people to do nothing.
>
>  Edmund Burke
>
>
>
>
> Candace with Cinnamon and Skylar
>

Lewis, immaturity is belittling the pain and sorrow of others and
showing a lack of compassion and empathy.  Being immature is not
mourning the loss of a friend, a companion, someone we loved and who
loved us back unconditionally, be it pet or person.  Maturity will
always stand the higher ground.

As Peggy said, no living creature is replaceable.  All living souls,
man and animal, are of the utmost worth.  God gave us the animals to
be companions and helpers and He valued them and certainly did not
consider them replaceable.  Each animal, if you really spend time
with them and get to know them, has a unique personality and is a
truly unique creation and soul.  They are not just cookie-cutter
versions of each other, just as people are not.  If you truly have
had a lot of cats, then I think it would be worth your while to spend
time with them and get to know them.  I think you've missed out on a
lot.

I think that it's sad when others fail to see all of the beauty in
creation, which includes animals.  You are missing out on the bigger
picture of life if you can't appreciate all of the beauty and
individuality in creation and just feel that living things are
replaceable.

I think you have to ask yourself why you are here.  Personally, I
don't think you are a member of this group and maybe you felt it
would be humorous to sign up and send cruel remarks.  But it isn't.
If you are a member, why are you here?  This group is a place for
people to gather and share stories and struggles and sorrows and to
expect nothing other than support and understanding.  No one should
have to deal with cruel remarks.  I had to deal with a really cruel
veterinary tech when my cat recently passed away and when someone is
in pain and someone else chooses to be cruel and heartless and lack
empathy, I just think that's inexcusable and that that person is
truly not happy with themselves and can't allow themselves to see
beauty in others because they can't see it in themselves.

I think you would do well to take a closer look at your own life and
ask yourself why you would post something that would belittle a
person's pain and make fun of the name of her beautiful cat.  To ask
yourself why you would do something like that. To take a good look at
yourself.

Debbie


--- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, Peggy <peggyg1@...> wrote:
>
> If you meant this post as humorous - it isn't.  No living creature
is replaceable each has its own personality.  If someone lost a
friend I sincerely hope you wouldn't tell them to grow up and find
another
>   -------------------
>   I'm deeply sorry for your loss.  You have to realize that at the
end
> of the day, cats are quite replacable.  You could go get a new kitty
> from the newspaper.  I've had a lot of cats this year, but I've
never
> been too sad to post on Yahoo.  You need to grow up a little.  It's
> just a cat, with a stupid name.  Sprite...LOL   Lewis
> --- In feline-heart@yahoogroups.com, "Peggy G" <peggyg1@> wrote:
> >
> > Too sad to post anything more - Peg
> >
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>