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Original poster

Heart Disease in Cat

33 replies

IcelandicWarriors · 11/12/2017 13:37

My kitty is 8 and is a big fluffy boy who was active and quick as lightening until he went to the vet's for his vaccinations.

The vet picked up a heart murmur so we went to a cardiologist and he has advanced HCM with heart failure and we didn't even know. She said she doesn't think he will have long. He didn't seem Ill.

He has been on meds for two weeks and since then he seems different. Older, sleeping all the time and he just seems different. I can smell him too. I couldn't before.

Anyone else had an unexpected diagnosis?

OP posts:
Justonedayatatime11 · 11/12/2017 14:06

Yes, but sadly not a happy outcome. My gorgeous girl was only 3 when she was diagnosed with HCM and before the vet could even start her on meds she threw a clot and her back end was paralysed leading to her having to be pts Sad. Absolutely heartbreaking

Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 11/12/2017 14:10

I'm worried about a clot out of hours. How quick can it deteriorate? I have spoken to the vet about out of hours contacts.

The cardiologist said she thought the timelines was under 6 months. I didn't believe her at first but now it I'd like I can see something that wasn't there before.

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TroysMammy · 11/12/2017 18:13

Yes sadly. Troy was 5 and the timescale was 6 months but if his legs went he would have had to be pts. He was on medication, lick-e-lix and lavished with love even more than he had been. 4 months later he walked into the bedroom at night, made a funny sound, by the time I'd got dressed, phoned emergency vet we were coming in, drove 2 minutes down the road he was gone. It was less than 10 minutes. He was exactly 2 months off his 6th Birthday. Flowers for you.

Justonedayatatime11 · 11/12/2017 18:25

I know it's not what you'll want to hear but Willow deteriorated so quickly Sad it was absolutely horrific and still haunts me. However, if you've caught it early enough for vet to recommend treatment then it's my understanding it can give them more time. Willow was diagnosed on the 10th and had to be pts on the 11th.

Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 11/12/2017 18:39

The vet said his left side of the heart is far to big and surrounded by water. Plus his valve isn't working.

We lost our black German shepherd to a disease that took her back legs but it was painless. I fear for Alfiefredo cat going in pain. Just couldn't believe it. I thought the vet's had made a mistake. In fact the cardiologist came out an hour early to collect me and I thought, yeh nothing wrong. But she said the xray wasn't worth the stress for him.

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Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 11/12/2017 18:41

He's just been playing with DD and some string.

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user1490465531 · 11/12/2017 19:19

I lost my ginger boy to heart disease the only sign for me was he kept cougthing and lost a lot of weight.
He also lost his vocals and couldn't miaow anymore.
Sadly by the time I got him to the vets it was to late.
Heart disease is sadly a common problem for cats my thoughts are with youFlowers

Toddlerteaplease · 11/12/2017 19:25

Yes. See my thread about the same thing. 'Pawsitive thoughts for Fatty's scan. She's been to see the cardiologist today. She's been on diuretics, beta blockers and anticoagulants for a month. She's had a small improvement and seems better in herself. I also had no idea she was so ill. She had a murmur that I knew about, but no one told me it was a grade 4 murmur until I saw it written down when she went for a dental. She's a Persian who was rescued from a kitten farm, so the cardiologist thinks is hereditary and also as a result of how she was kept. I'm still in two minds wether to have her sister screened.

Toddlerteaplease · 11/12/2017 19:26

Fatty's was not in Herat failure. But not far off it. Hugs OP, it's horrible and stressful.

Toddlerteaplease · 11/12/2017 19:29

She's aged 7 and was diagnosed a month ago.

Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 11/12/2017 19:33

Yes the cardiologist said it was genetic. Alf is a moggy but very large and fluffy. We know his brother went off one day and never returned.

I have to go back in a few weeks but it is an hour away and he didn't like the journey so I'm not sure.

I have bought a paw print kit to have a silver charm made from his print but his paws are too fluffy!

It is horrible isn't it.

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Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 11/12/2017 19:35

Alf is on diuretics, anti blood clotting and something for hormones.

He had his kidney test last week and there was a slight increase in his enzymes.

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Toddlerteaplease · 11/12/2017 22:18

I've thought about s paw print kit but have the same problem with toe floofs!

chemenger · 11/12/2017 22:28

We lost our Alfie to heart disease 18 months ago. He lasted about 8 months after his diagnosis. Was absolutely fine until his last few days when he deteriorated quickly. His brother, who had had a heart murmur all his life disappeared one day, now we wonder if he had a heart attack, although he had no symptoms. Good luck, enjoy your Alfie while you can, we still miss our little boy.

Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 12/12/2017 14:25

Alfie cat just vomited. He doesn't vomit. Is this the start of the decline? I have a call out with the vet about medication so will chat to them when they phone back.

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TheSpottedZebra · 12/12/2017 22:59

I lost my boy to HCM 3 months ago. He was nearly 16 though, so I was lucky to have him a lot longer.
He too was diagnosed with a low grade murmur, years ago. I have one too and it hasn't caused me issues so I wasn't that worried.

He suddenly started panting, and the vet said his heart was surrounded by fluid -heart failure basically. He also had kidney issues. He did pull through that, then we hoped we'd have a good few months more. We were fearful of a clot, as others have said. He instead had a slow decline, more and more meds, and then we decided his quality of life had declined too much and we had to pts.

It's awful, isn't it? Every little niggle is so worrying. I wish the best for you both.

Toddlerteaplease · 14/12/2017 09:51

Twice now, I've been woken up to my girl knocking a bin over to retrieve plastic to eat. And she was playing football with a tablet box this morning. She has t done those things in a long time. So she must be feeling better!

Toddlerteaplease · 14/12/2017 19:55

Got my other girl scanned today as all these cats on TL being diagnosed has made me very nervous about her. And the cardiologist was keen it was done. She's got a thickened septum but is otherwise ok. To keep an eye and scan in six months. Phew!

Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 16/12/2017 19:21

Good news!

My kitty has been playing with ribbon today by himself and had a wander out but is eating just a pouch of food which means he isn't eating all his meds.

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Toddlerteaplease · 16/12/2017 19:46

I use a pill giver. It's much easier and she's as good as gold with them. Have you tried greenies pill pouches? I used them until I realised that I was making it more difficult for her to swallow. As she'll only eat dreemies as treats.

Toddlerteaplease · 16/12/2017 19:47

She's a Persian with a very small mouth so does struggle with big lumps.

Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 18/12/2017 12:01

Ill look for a pill giver. He has just been sick again and is starting to feel thin.

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Toddlerteaplease · 20/12/2017 22:02

How he doing op?

Original poster
IcelandicWarriors · 21/12/2017 13:00

Playing and going out a bit more now it isn't so cold. He gets what we call 'naughty ears' and you can tell he is obviously up to something by his ears.

How about yours?

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Toddlerteaplease · 21/12/2017 14:51

Mine are both fine. Fatty is so chilled out on her beta blockers it's lovely. She's turned into a total lap cat!