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.

Sounds like the nurses are the glue holding the place together at the moment. I bet they are equally frustrated.

I get the impression that they are. They have been amazing with Harry and, if they had a date for getting a new permanent vet, I’d probably stay with them to see how it goes. From what I’ve been told they’ve only got locum vets until the middle of next month and they don’t know what’s happening after that.

After a lot of umming and aahhing we have booked him in at the new vets. We are seeing one of the partners who specialises in heart problems so hopefully we’ll get to the bottom of what’s wrong once and for all. The other plus is they do ECGs and ultrasounds on site.

We’re not going to complain to the other vets, we’re going out just be honest and say it’s because they have a regular vet or the same facilities. I certainly haven’t ruled out going back there in the future.

The appointment is on 23rd March, which will give his frusol time to work or not and also for them to hire a truck to get his notes across!

On a positive note, his tummy seems to be ok and he hasn’t coughed since 4.30am on Saturday!

Let us know how it goes?

I will do. I’m a bit nervous as to whether we’ve done the right thing but we had to do something

Sounds like the right plan.

I think you have absolutely done the right thing by yourselves and by Harry - even if he might not actually appreciate it (poor love). I'm pleased to hear that he is coughing less and his tum tum has settled.

Good luck at the new vets. I still think the call about the sedation was absolutely the right one. You have to consider what is right for your animal. Not just what the textbook says. We shall keep paws and fingers crossed here.

He’s coughed a few times recently but seems to be ok in himself. He’s taken to his bed today but it’s not a very nice day here and I think he’s avoiding me! I’ve been ill on and off since December and he looks at me as if to say ‘and they think there’s something wrong with me’!

We've brought his appointment with the new vet forward to Monday as hes coughed three times today. He still has no other symptoms and seems fine but we thought it would make sense to move the appointment, meet the vet, discuss what is actually in the notes and plan from there.

Sounds like a good plan. Better to get in and review the situation than leave it and worry. Hope it goes well.

Might be a good idea, Pink, to check before you go as to whether they've received all his notes.

I asked about the notes yesterday and they already have them so we’re good to go.

I’m going to pop in to his old vets with a card and some chocolates to say thank you to for everything they’ve done for him over the years. The new vets doesn’t have the same friendly feeling, it’s more ‘let’s sell as much as we can’ so I can’t imagine having the same bond with them and we’ve had bad experiences in the past so I’m hoping it works out.

Does anyone know what happens about the insurance claim? The old vet will be starting it so I presume we’ll pay them the excess (the claim is being paid direct to them) and the new vets will put in a continuation?

Ah vets. We formed a very close bond with one of our vets in Windermere, and she actually became our friend (and cried with us when our previous Birman girl died) but we moved much further up the county and had to find new vets. Mind you it was only this vet we loved, (and still do) I had a dreadful run in with one of the partners when I raised a justifiable complaint. He chose the wrong woman to insult............
Anyhoo we are happy with our practice, they were very responsive when Boycat was neutered and had a very bad reaction to ketamine. I suspect Harry reacted to ket, our boy was completely spaced out and we stayed up all night with him because he was behaving as if he'd suffered some brain damage-- looooooong horrible night. We had his records marked up that he wasn't to have ketamine again and Babygirlcat (same breed) wasn't given ketamine when she was spayed.

They are also very good with our alpacas, one of their vets takes care of the camelids at the local wild life park so knows his stuff. Fortunately our boys are hardy chaps and very easy to look after. I have become proficient in drenching and jabbing. Who'd have thought it?
I do hope everything goes well with the new practice. Sending big positive furry vibes from my three to Harry.

Boycat’s reaction sounds very similar to Harry’s. He was staggering round, his legs kept giving out and he we took up his large water bowl as he fell asleep with his head in it. This has only happened on the last two occasions that he’s had x rays, the time before when he had a dental he was fine so I’m wondering whether he wasn’t given ketamine then.

Oh wow, Boycat kept scrabbling at the water fountain like a thing possessed.It was that which made our fabulous breeder concerned about brain damage. We had to hide it, it was making him so wappy, and he then plunged his paws into the shallow bowl we replaced it with. Definitely the same reaction. So frightening. I thought we were going to lose him, we lost a Birman boy at 18 months with a hind brain defect which only manifested when he caught a bug and just went downhill and had to be PTS within a week. Urgh.

Oh bless him, it seems as though they are desperate for water. The first time it happened the vet didn’t tell me he was wobbly and I was really shocked when he staggered out of his basket and collapsed. He let me cover him with a blanket which isn’t something I’m brave enough to try normally! He still tried to accompany me to the toilet though, bouncing off the walls on the way.

Well whatever’s wrong with him isn’t affecting his strength! We’ve got floor to ceiling sliding doors in the bedroom and he’s just come in and got one of them open!

We took Harry to the new vet tonight and it went very well. I liked the new vet, he was confident and seemed to know his stuff.

The big question is, has Harry got heart disease or not? The heart murmur was minimal and the vet said that coughing in cats wouldn’t make him think of heart disease. He’s having a scan tomorrow so hopefully we’ll know more then.

I mentioned the ketamine and the vet looked back through the notes and Harry has only had it the last two times when he had a bad reaction. Hopefully it’s the ketamine that caused the problem and not underlying issues with Harry.

He also had his teeth checked as the locum vet told us he had severe gingivitis that could lead to more infections and loss of bone. The vet had a look today and, while he has some plaque, there’s nothing to worry about.

Fingers crossed everything goes well for him tomorrow (something else for me to stress over!) - tonight went better than I was expecting. I’m now praying to the gods of pet insurance that Petplan pay out for this lot!

Well done the lad.

I hope it does go well and they do pay out. Petplan have a good reputation though.
Stupid idea. I once saw a vet programme which featured a coughing dog. It was something stuck up their nose and nothing to do with heart and lungs!
Keeping it all crossed for tomorrow. Sounds positive. (We had a cat with awful gingivitis when I was a kid. It was unmistakable. Candlesticks of thick and stinky drool. Yuck. )

Aww he has a personalised blanket. Too cute. Good luck for the scan tomorrow. Fatty says to tell Harry to relax and chill out and it'll be fine. Are you staying with him during the scan. My cardiologist prefers owners present as if calms them down.

He’s got a couple but he still prefers the manky old blanket I bought him when we first got him!

They didn’t mention staying with him so DH is taking him in the morning and I’ll pick him up after work unless they want to kick him out before hand! The vet did warn us that he might have to be sedated so I’ve passed on Fattys message and I’m keeping everything crossed that he doesn’t.

I was a bit put out when the vet said they’ll have to shave his chest. That beautiful, lush fur!

It's only a tiny bit. I've never really noticed eye they've done Fatty's. But she's is much more floofy

In this house, there's little point in having separate blankets for the cat. Everything belongs to him.