Heart disease

[Thewinedidit]

My cat has taken poorly and the vet suspects it's hypotrophic heart disease. I've not been given a great prognosis and it's been suggested it'd be beer to PTS. I'm devastated even thinking about it. Does anyone have any experience with it?

Yes I do and I'm sorry you are having to go through this too.

Troy was 5 years old when he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The prognosis was not good, maximum 6 months they said but he was managed by Langfords in Bristol and our local vet. He was on tablets which he was good at taking. I was told that a blood clot could break off and render him paralysed and would have to have him pts immediately. He was insured.

He became an indoor cat as I was petrified something would happen to him outside and I wouldn't be able to find him. Every day with him was precious. He had a couple of chest drains and would sit quietly whilst the vet treated him.

Four months after his diagnosis he died very suddenly but not unexpectedly, exactly 2 months before his 6th Birthday.

He was a fabulous cat and I am sad I only had him a short while. Nearly 16 months later I'm still not in the right place for another kitty mainly because I'm scared it could happen again.

for you.

So sorry you have had that news.I had a cat with the same problem.she Ws diagnosed in the October of 2014.she was on tablets.2different ones every day.she lived for just a year and then had a massive heart attack .she died before I got her to the vets.she was insured luckily.but I could have got the same tablets off the internet for £7 a month the vets would have been £30 if I had to pay for them.
I don't understand why your vet suggested pts.she could still live a good life on meds.not sure for how long.it drepends how severe it is

My Kayla was 7 by the way she' was a Ragdoll.they are prone to HC

Layla.not Kayla

Thank you. I'm so sorry about your boy.

We have another review appointment next week to see if he has responded to his meds. He seems like his old self but his breathing is laboured and the vet said his heart is struggling. At the moment it seems cruel to let him suffer. I love him thou. He is the best cat I've ever met, so friendly and as smart as a whip. It's hard to know what's the best thing to do.

I'd want more regular appointments and a proper confirmed diagnosis tbh.

My dear cat was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy a couple of years ago. He was severely affected, and in heart failure at the point of diagnosis. We were warned he could pass away at any point.

Thanks to the expertise of our vet and dedication of medicating him at home he is still with us too leading an excellent quality of life. He runs and plays and is very happy. The hardest part was getting him stable at the beginning when he was diagnosed but we saw the vet regularly and titrated his meds to suit.

What meds have you been given? Has he had any x-rays? He may need to have fluid drained while he stabilises.

He's on furusemide and one other at the moment. His breathing doesn't seem to be improving much but we are back again this weekend for assessment.

My other concern about him is we are moving in a couple of months. He got himself so worked up the last time we moved I thought he was going to have a heart attack. Genuinely horrible panic attack type situation he was in. He was obviously a lot younger and fitter then. I worry the stress of the move would kill him.

If he's not improving it would be worth giving the vet a call to see if the dose can be increased before the weekend. The fluid can feel like drowning so really important to get on top of it from an ethical POV too.

My cat was started on HyperCard and Frusemide, both three times a day. Although HyperCard worked well for his heart, it sent him a bit strange personality wise, so we switched to Atenolol. He's now on Atenolol, Frusemide and Clopidogrel.

I'd ask for a sedative to help with the move if you can get him stable now. Try not to worry too far ahead.

Hope he has some improvement very soon.

I hadn't thought about a sedative. That's a really good idea. I'm very reluctant to do anything other than continue with treatment. I just hope it starts to work.