Heart Failure?

Hi, I've just joined this site in the hope that someone may have more info than I've been given?

Our cat Truffles is 9 years old and just before Christmas his breathing was very laboured and so we took him to the vets who took him in to drain fluid off his lungs. The fluid was tested and we were told the test results showed he is suffering from heart failure and to prepare ourselves as he would only go downhill. He's on Fortekor and Frusemide daily to make him more comfortable.

We took him back after a week and the vet was impressed he was doing so well and we don't have to take him back until a week tomorrow, but his belly looks quite bloated at the moment and he's been sick a couple of times (clear bubbly fluid) and I spoke to the vet who said it was likely to be the fluid building up again.

He's OK in himself, though he doesn't eat as much as he used to and perhaps is a bit quieter.

I want to know if anyone else has experience with heart failure and whether there's anything else the vet/we should be doing?

Thanks, Steph

I'm so sorry to hear about Truffles.

I lost a 9 year old to cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease. When I started doing research on heart disease in cats, it became obvious very quickly that there are many varieties of heart illnesses and each one is treated in their own way. It is such a complicated topic that I doubt that anyone can give you any specific advise. You'll only hear stories from people about their experiences with their form of heart disease, which may not even apply to you.

If you are in doubt that your vet is doing all that they can for Truffles, have you considered a second opinion or contacting a cat specialist?

If you just need some support and good vibes, we are all here for you.

My Persian, Simba, had heart failure. Simba developed another health problem on top of the heart failure so I decided to euthanize him last year. Simba was practically impossible to medicate and when I managed to pill him every day for 2 weeks,with his diuretic (sorry don't remember the specific name now), he had terrible side effects. He was dizzy, couldn't walk or jump, and threw up every time he ate, if he ate at all. I decided Simba would rather not take his meds. Simba lived 18 months after his heart failure diagnosis and that was basically without treatment. And remember he developed another health problem, but him having heart failure was the main reason in deciding to let him go.

Basically the diuretic is to help relieve the fluid off the lungs, which helps the cat feel more comfortable. And then there is another medication for the heart? Slows down the process? I never got that far, since Simba was so hard to medicate.

I am sorry your kitty has this.