Please give me some (semi) positive stories about heart disease

[caitlinohara]

We are still in shock after taking our (almost) 4 year old beloved cat to the emergency vet on Saturday night with breathing difficulties to be told that he has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and that we should consider PTS as the prognosis was not good. His heart is enlarged about as much as it can be, and racing. We wanted to give him a chance as he is so young, so they drained the fluid off and he came home the next day.
He is on Cardiosure, Nelio, Frusomide, Clopidogrel and something else to boost his appetite. He was very quite on Sunday but Monday and Tuesday and most of today has perked up and is sitting on our laps and purring again, jumping on our bed, going out and about and much more himself.
Then this afternoon he was sick about half an hour after the Cardisure and is a bit more subdued and off his food again. He is breathing ok though and drinking but looks sad, I know that sounds silly but he does.
I am wondering whether it is the Cardisure that doesn't agree with him as he seems much perkier before and up until he has had it. I have to take him for a check up tomorrow and will see what they say, I just wondered whether anyone else could offer me any comfort or whether we are deluding ourselves and it's only downhill from here. He is so loved by all of us, and pretty much the entire street, such a big character and such a softie, we will be lost without him. It is still such a shock.

I'm so sorry. There is nothing I can say to make things better as I've been through it too. Just love him, spoil him and do the best you can for him.

Thank you. I'm sorry to hear that you have been through this too.
It's just so unexpected. We thought we would have him for years yet. We have always said to each other we can't believe how lucky we are to have him.
How long did your cat live with it? I know I am clutching at straws here.

I've also been there. My girl had a really good nine months after diagnosis. But she was never unwell with it. She was diagnosed before ever becoming symptomatic. Unfortunately, in the end it was her kidneys that failed. Possibly as a result of the diuretics she was on for her heart.

Tbh I would have him put to sleep.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy carries the risk of sudden death, so although he could live for a while with the condition and on various drugs, there’s a higher than average chance that you will just find him dead one day.

Entirely different scenario but I have it, and I now need a heart transplant. In the meantime I have some devices in my chest (ICD etc) to mitigate against the sudden death bit, but without those I’ve come close on several occasions. I wouldn’t put an animal through it who isn’t able to understand what is happening to him.

I would ask to be referred to a cardiologist and get their input on his treatment.
There is only one good quality study in cats looking at treatment so lots of drugs are tried, but we are not certain which are best.

I say this as a vet who has a cat with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Most of my patients with HCM have good quality of like pleural effusions or FATE ( feline aortic thromboembolism) are the most common end game scenarios. I am happy to medicate my cat ( I use a benazipril /spironolactone combined pill) till one of these happen.

My cat was PTS three weeks ago, a little over a year after we discovered he had heart failure. He was 7 at diagnosis. Perfectly fit and healthy. He was on three tablets a day for a year - cadalis, Clopidogrel, and libea. He was happy for that year and then the decline cake suddenly and unexpectedly. If he had suffered at all during that year I would have ended his pain

You have my sympathies - the only comfort I can offer is that it's genetic at such a young age, and there's nothing you could have done differently.

So sorry to hear about your cat. My beloved cat had this too & I was devastated to lose him so early - he survived for 6 months after diagnosis on medication with a good quality of life.

However our vet had warned me that he would die suddenly of aortic thromboembolism & he did. I’m sorry to say that it was very distressing for him & also for me to witness. In retrospect, it would have been kinder to have him put to sleep before this happened but I’m not sure if I would have been able to bring myself to do it because I adored him.

I hope you will find good advice regarding medication, prognosis etc. so you can decide what to do for the best. 💐

It was 4 months from diagnosis to him passing away suddenly, 2 months before his 6th Birthday. Four years on I remember that night clearly.

Troy was kept indoors from when he was diagnosed because I couldn't bear the thought of him going outside and dying alone. He was such a sweet cat and went too soon. He was a black and white moggie.

Really sorry to hear about your cat. Sadly my girl passed away 6 months after diagnosis, aged 4. She was seeing a cardiologist and on medication though you wouldn't have known she had a heart problem, she showed no signs of illness at all. I was told she would undoubtedly die of HCM and the best death for the cat would be a sudden passing. And this is the way she went, no pain or discomfort, her heart just stopped. Devastating to me as it was so sudden (she was literally eating treats out of my hand minutes before), but quick and painless for the cat.