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Original poster

Old cat with high heart rate. Hold my hand.

8 replies

oopslateagain · 04/12/2011 22:21

My old boy OopsCat is 16 with arthritis and cataracts, but still full of life and loves nothing more than curling up on a warm lap.

We've had a flea explosion (like everyone else, by the sound of it) due to the warm weather, and he's allergic so I took him to the vet last week to get something for the itching. I mentioned that his stools have been a bit loose.

The vet (not our usual one) said she could feel 'something' in his abdomen, possibly a lump. His heart rate was over 250. She took a blood test but we got a phone call today saying it was negative for hyperthyroidism. Our usual vet wants to see him, but wants me to take his heart rate several times at home first, we have an appointment for Thursday when she wants to take his blood pressure and more blood for tests.

I am hoping the 'lump' was nothing. The vet wasn't sure if it was something in his intestines (impacted food or something) or a tissue lump.

He is full of beans and has been playing with his catnip toy today. He looks so 'normal'. Sad

OP posts:
crazycrackernanna · 05/12/2011 13:47
Sad
Original poster
oopslateagain · 05/12/2011 18:32

Thanks. Have tried to take his heart rate today but he purrs every time I try! Grin

He can't get up the stairs any more. He used to sleep on our bed. Sad

OP posts:
Sparklingbaubles · 05/12/2011 18:33

Another hand to hold here.

Original poster
oopslateagain · 08/12/2011 14:59

Well I am a bit peeved. Angry

I have taken OopsCat's heart rate several times, as far as I can tell it's around 130-ish. Which is perfectly normal.

When our usual vet rang, she said the other vet "isn't with us any more", and that she (our normal vet) has picked up the outstanding work from the other vet. She said she wanted to "check what (other vet) found".

I am starting to think that maybe the other vet has made a mistake, which our vet suspects and wants to check. If so, it's cost us over £50 for a blood test which OopsCat didn't need.

After all that, and stressing out OopsCat by having the cat carrier in the kitchen ready to put him in, the vet nurse rang today to say our vet was ill so has cancelled her appointments and has slotted us in tomorrow morning instead, they will ring if they need to cancel that too.

Cat carrier is now hidden away in the spare room, and OopsCat is curled on my feet asleep. Smile

OP posts:
hiddenhome · 25/12/2011 20:08

heart rate could have been elevated due to stress. Hope your kitty is well and happy.

Wolfiefan · 25/12/2011 20:09

Hoping for a happy and well new year!

Lizcat · 26/12/2011 10:08

It is also worth knowing that a single negative thyroid test does not rule hyperthyroidism out completely in the cat. The standard approach is that where a cat has symptoms of hyperthyriodism, but normal bloods they should be retested in 3 to 4 weeks around 90% of the these cats are then found to be hyperthyroid.

Purplelooby · 27/12/2011 10:35

I bet old-moggie was just scared of being at the vet - pretty sure my heart rate goes through the roof when I got for hospital appointments!

But just incase

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