Here we go again

I know there was something wrong when Charlie woke me at 6.50am, he usually waits til 8ish on the weekends. I tried to persuade him to use the litter tray rather than go out in the dark.... but he was desperate to get out. When I checked the tray there it was again... a small blood stained pee mark. He's got cystitis again!! I started the meds program agreed previously with the vet and thought we may have caught it early. However over the course of the morning it became more apparent that this was a bad case.... little puddles of blood stained pee all over the house... VET TIME!!!!

The vet was excellent, she checked him really well and then dropped the bomb shell. Did I know he had a heart murmour? No. Well she could hear one and now he has that on top of his bladder problems, allergies and stress hair pulling to cope with... poor chap. So what I was wondering was what can I expect from this heart murmour? Will I have to watch him more closely or can he just carry on as normal.... I know I should have asked the vet all this but I was a bit stunned when she told me and forgot.

K xx

Poor Charlie!! I lost a cat to cardiomyopathy last year and one sign of that disease was a heart murmour. When I found out what he had, I went online and started reading everything I could find on the disease. What I found out was that cats with heart murmours can have a huge variation of problems - some are completely insignificant and others are life threatening.

This is one you really need to talk to your vet about. Depending on a lot of factors, they may just leave it alone and watch it, they might give you medicine for it, or they may require more tests to determine how or if they should treat him. There are really too many variations to give you any answers here.

Sending positive vibes that there is no effects from this.

Poor Charlie
What did your vet suggest that you do about Charlies murmur?
Is Charlie seeing the vet today about the cystitis?
It must be very painful.

I think that it would be wise to discuss with your vet about a referral to a feline internist or vet school, for a complete work up.
They are the vets trained to assess the extent of Charlie's problems and how best to go about treating them.

This can be expensive but in the long run....
if you get a good diagnosis and get him on the right treatment plan...
you and Charlie would be better off.

Also use the "search" tool in the Health forum to research Charlie's health issues.

He certainly does have health problems...
Poor baby.

I'll be watching for your updates.

I am praying for your sweet kitty. Please keep us updated.

Poor Charlie! Momofmany is right; there are so many different grades of and causes of heart murmurs... I would call the vet and ask again for specifics. Signs of an emergency include shortness of breath and lethargy.

My Lily has a heart murmur; it was diagnosed when we adopted her when she was two. She came from a stressful household (divorce). Now, a year later, her murmur has been downgraded from a three to a one, so that can happen. Maybe Charlie's murmur is minimal, and just more apparent when he is stressed from the UTI, but your vet will know if he needs more tests. I wish you and your sweet kitty well.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch

I just wanted to offer a for poor Carlie. When my boy went through several bouts of chronic UTI it was extrememly upsetting for us to see him in such pain. Hope you get everything sorted out, and that his murmur is not a bad one.

Thank you so much for all your replies. I am touched by how quickly I have been made to feel 'at home here'.

Charlie says hello... he has had a painkilling injection so is a bit drowsy but he can now pee easier. He is being very good at taking his meds, well I promised him some salad if he is good (he loves it.. odd but there you go)

Now I have calmed down a bit from this mornings shock I can remember the vet said it was a slight murmur that was maybe only audible because he was stressed. She said that in humans and dogs it would be noticeable through coughing a lot, but in cats this doesn't happen. She said to watch out in case he suddenly became lethargic, which would be quite noticeable as he is an active little soul. At the moment there will be no treatment as the vet thought it didn't warrant it, so I suppose it's just a case of watch and see.

He is insured though which is a relief, and the company have been very good so far.

So thanks for all your invaluable advice, it was great to get some advice from meowmommys who had been there.

Lots of love and meows

K and Charlie

XXX

How old is Charlie? Sometimes in older cats, a heart murmur can be related to other diseases, like hyperthyroidism. Other times, a cat can be born with it. Have your vet monitor it at each visit. If it gets worse, then I would recommend an echo cardiogram--an ultrasound of the heart--so that the source can be determined. Some types of heart murmurs can be treated with medication. I've had two cats with murmurs. One was a stray, Spot, who I found as an elderly cat. He lived for 19 months after I found him before he passed from cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart muscle). The other, Alex, was a cat I had from kittenhood. He had a murmur his entire life (though the vet often had trouble hearing it through his purring), and was fine until he passed very suddenly one morning shortly after his 12th birthday.

Neither murmur seemed to have much effect on the cats (Spot showed signs of distress the day before he passed--but he also had other medical issues). I would just have the vet note the grade each year to monitor for changes.

Poor Charlie! He's just got a lot going on there. I think you should call your vet back and ask all the questions you want.

I'm glad to hear it's just a slight murmur....that's a little better. I don't know anything about a hear murmur in cats, but I'll be sending tons of {{{get well soon}}} vibes to sweet Charlie!

If I may ask... you say the vet told you that a heart murmur can cause a cat to cough a lot? Did he give you any more information on that?

I ask because I was told years ago that I have a heart murmur myself... and in the past year or two, I've been prone to coughing a lot for no apparent reason. So... should I be making out my will?

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

If I may ask... you say the vet told you that a heart murmur can cause a cat to cough a lot?

Click to expand...

Actually, she said that is a sign in humans and dogs. Cats don't show the same signs. He may, however, become lethargic.

This mornings update:

Charlie is doing well. He had a much more comfortable night, and seems to be peeing less and it's not all over the house, he is back to using his trays again like a trooper.

He slept a lot because of the drugs yesterday but today has been doing his usual mad 15 minutes race round the house. He is eating well and enjoying cuddles.

He wants to say a big thank you to all of you who have replied to this thread... he and his mummy are grateful for your help and support.

Koukou & Charlie

xx

I am glad that Charlie seems to be feeling better.
You might still want to do a search about murmur and HCM so that you are aware of it's symptoms.
My beloved Bartholomew died at 16 of HCM so I take this disease very personally.
Charlie will remain in my thoughts as you continue his care.
Please keep us updated.

I'm glad Charlie appears to be feeling better this morning!

I agree with cloud shade... how old is your baby? It cloud be related to another disease process.

My cat was diagnosed with a heart murmur at the age of 12. My vet suggested a thyroid test. It turned out she was hyperthyroid. After 6 months of treatment, her heart murmur went from a grade 3 out of 5 to a grade 1.

Heart murmurs are graded on a scale of 1 to 5 OR 1 to 6. A grade one heart murmur can only be heard occasionally. While a grade 5 or 6 heart murmur can actually be felt by placing your hand on the chest.

Did your vet tell you what grade heart mumur it was? If it is only a grade one, it is probally not too big of a concern. Most vets suggest monitoring it when it is only a grade one. This means when ever you go in for a visit to your vet, MAKE SURE they tell you what grade it sounds like. A vet will normally recommend a cardiac workup when it reaches a grade 3. However, all of this goes out the window if it is a young animal. If your pet is not considered geriatric (7 or older) I would definiatly say t do the cardiac work up. Most of the time this will include.... 2 x rays of the chest, an EKG, an echo and full bloodwork.


OHHH yeah ... and have you ever tried putting him on a product like cosequin to help with the cystitis?

What is cosequin? He does have Cystaid to help with his cystitis.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

If I may ask... you say the vet told you that a heart murmur can cause a cat to cough a lot? Did he give you any more information on that?

I ask because I was told years ago that I have a heart murmur myself... and in the past year or two, I've been prone to coughing a lot for no apparent reason. So... should I be making out my will?

Click to expand...

I have a cat with a heart murmur (grade 4) that coughs when she plays too hard/too long, etc. We don't know much about her condition yet.

Cosequin is a product that contains glucosamine and chondroitins. Most of the time these are used for maintaining health joints but it also helps the bladder in the same way it helps the joints.

"The inner lining of the bladder wall is protected by a layer, which contains some of the same compounds as are found in cartilage. This layer keeps urine and the waste products contained within it from seeping into and affecting the lining. Since the low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate found only in Cosequin is available to more than just cartilage cells, the bladder may use it to help support this protective layer."

I'm not sure what the product you have is, or what it has in it. But if you do decide to try cosequin, just so you know it can take a couple of weeks to reach its full effect. Its also completely safe to keep you pet on.

Charlie had his last check up this morning. All is well bladder and pee wise and this vet (different on from last time... it's a practice of 3 or 4) said she could not hear a heart murmur.... so now I don't know what to think.