Harry's Results

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

I've just had the results of Harry's blood test for his heart and it's not good. His proBNP level is 344 and anything over 270 is classed as serious heart disease. I'm sitting at my desk at work in tears as I don't know what to do. As far as I can see I've got three options:

1. Get a second opinion
2. Have him referred for tests to see how serious it is and decide on treatment
3. Leave him be.

Please don't flame me but I'm leaning towards option 3. He's 13 years old, has been through more sedations, tests and operations than I care to remember over the last two years and is absolutely find in himself. He's eating, drinking and playing, doesn't get out of breath and, if he hasn't got long, I want him to be happy in that time, not in and out of vets all the time.

Yes a very sensible plan.

I've just seen this. I'm so sorry. I do think that your plan is a good one. .

Good plan.

The girls send their love to their favourite man cat.

I've phoned the vet and the locum leaves tomorrow! We've got an appointment tonight at 5.30pm to talk things through. Can you lovely people take a look at my list of questions and let me know if you think of anything else I should ask?

• what will the tests involve?
• will they have to be repeated and, if so, how often?
• what sort of medication would he have, pills, cream on the ears?
• roughly how much will the tests cost?
• what symptoms/changes should we be looking out for?

Thanks Dances. The questions have been added to my list, although I think some of them might be for another day as we don't know who will be treating him as the locum leaves tomorrow and there is no replacement.

I suppose it saves me worrying about offending her if I want to see a different vet!

Toddler, Harry waves back to the girls!

My understanding is that's a normal proBNP is really accurate for ruling out heart disease in cats with murmurs etc. But that a high proBNP is not diagnostic as other factors can raise it too. Therefore to know whether heart disease is present you would need a scan.

However agree with others that if medicating is impossible that maybe there is little point in the stress of further testing.

What is the prognosis if you do NO TREATMENT?

Is there any form of benign treatment that has minimal risks, cheap & might make him more comfortable & reduce future risks?

Or other measures you can do reduce risk (like keep him a healthy weight, I imagine).

If memory serves, the lad is no spring chicken. And he's already been through so much.

I'd be tempted to let him have a ball while he can.

We’ve just got back from the vet and I’m feeling a bit happier now. We’ve agreed that he’ll have a chest x ray as it it’s non invasive and can be done at our vets. That’ll be in a couple of weeks so we’re carrying on as normal for now.

Once we have the results of that we then think about the next step, either a scan or nothing. We’re still leaning towards to leaving him be but at least we’ll be able to make an informed decision.

My biggest worry is his teeth. Apparently they are quite bad but he can’t have anything done until we know the extent of the heart problems.

cozie, we think he’s about 13.

Keep us informed, then?

I will do cozie. I’m comfortable doing the scan so we know what we’re dealing with but I doubt we’ll go any further. I want him to enjoy his senior years. The vet didn’t try to push us into anything and I appreciated that.

Dances, I hope they don’t have to take any more teeth out, he lost 12 when he fractured his jaw! He also had a bone infection which means his jaw was eaten away so that really worries me. I was amazed at how quickly he recovered though, he was back on his biscuits very quickly.

The scan is non invasive. It involves having electrodes taped round the paws and an ultrasound of the heart.

He’s very brave and I make sure I tell him regularly!

I’m feeling a bit fragile at the moment. It’s 5 months since Mum died on Thursday and we are also hoping to complete on the sale of her house, my childhood home, next week. Mum died of heart failure and it was awful listening to the vet telling me exactly what the doctor told me. I didn’t make it to Weight Watchers tonight, I came home and ate Mini Eggs instead!

Thanks Toddler. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting but that doesn’t sound as bad as I was thinking.

She is so cute!

Selling family houses is always difficult. The more so when it's one you lived in as a child.

Pink those mini eggs much deserved!!

My Dcat had acute kidney failure and we had to give her tablets. tried various and have the scars to prove it ended up crushing and putting in a little dish with some tuna and a tiny drop of water and she slurped it up. She inexplicably pulled herself back from the brink of death so it was worth it but she isn't old.

I think you are doing all the right things-if harry cat happy and can have non-stressful, non-invasive things to prolong happy life fine.
Otherwise the stress of the treatment may make it not worth it...

Sending both and

Poor Harry. Poor you.
I'd be looking at option 2 I think, but only because 13 doesn't sound that old to me ( after geriatric old girl) and you said he seems bright and lively.
I hope the vet helps you come up with a plan of action that isn't stressful to him, but can potentially improve future quality of life.

I didn’t think I would feel like this about the house cozie. I’m actually more sentimental than I realised.

That’s a good idea about the tuna mumsie, he does like it! I’m glad your cat improved. We found out last year that Harry had kidney failure and he wouldn’t take any meds so he ended up on Ipakitine in his food. We found out just after Christmas that his kidneys were now fine and I really hoped he was about to have a change of luck!

Harry is booked in for his chest x ray on 6th March. He'll be seeing a locum but the two nurses who have looked after him in the past will both be there and they have said they will pamper him! Although I wanted continuity with the vet that won't be possible as our branch doesn't have a vet and the regular vet at the other branch is on holiday for 3 weeks. Not ideal but there's not a lot else I can do.

Weeds you're right, he's not that old and actually looked like a giant kitten when I saw him at lunchtime.

Fatty had her x rats without sedation. As she also goes limp. Would he tolerate that?