Need Prayers for Faith Now Please! Urgent possible pulmonary embolism!!

I came home tonight to find Faith gasping. She was breathing through her mouth.
I rushed her to the vet. The only vet that was open right now tonight. He took
a look at her and said he thinks that she had a pulmonary embolism. He gave her
some medication injections which seems to be working. He got her stable and
breathing better. Since he's not equipped to keep her over night, I took her
home. I asked him if he thought she was stable enough to go home, and he said yes she looks a LOT better than when she came in.
He didn't want to do an xray or blood test right now because he doesn't
want to excite her or cause her more stress. So I have to tell him how she's
doing in the morning. She's on enalipril and furmosimide. I tried giving her
the enalipril now but she won't take the pill pocket. So I'm not going to force
the meds down her throat and stress her out. She hasn't even gotten out of the carrier. She's laying in there right now. She seems to be breathing easier.  She is over weight.  Her last weight was around 19lbs. Yes I know, I have been trying to get her to loose weight slowly.  He thinks that this is NOT related to her weight loss regemin.  Right now  I am starting slowly. I only take food away at night, but leave it out during the day.

I have one cat who is 15 and is at her minimum weight she can be at. If she looses any more weight she'll be underweight.  So It's been a fine balance to make sure she gets all the food she wants, while getting the other cat to loose weight.  I've got her down from 20lbs to 19.  And it's been about 2 months.

I called the nearest ER facility for animals. I want to make sure that the other vet did everything he could and he is right that she is okay to be at home.  They have not called me back yet.

I just took Lucky to the vet this past Thursday for a urinary tract infection. I have another cat with Hyperthyroidism. It's been a struggle to get here I am.  I just emotionally can not handle this right now.  Too much on my plate, I've been praying all night that she recovers.

Faith is a grey/white tabby cat and she was born in 2003 so she's 8 years old.  About the same age as my first cat peaches who died they believe of a tumor in her brain.

Please pray that she makes it. I have too much on my plate right now to handle
this too. It's too much. Please pray that this is just a blip and with
medication and simple measures she'll live another 10+ years healthy. I just
can not handle this right now.  I can't.  

Has anyone had this happen to their cat? What was the treatment?

Thanks for thoughts and prayers!!

Mel

I don't know anything about this and have no experience, but wanted to send my vibes for your baby! !!!!!!!

Thank you. Right now the other Emergency vet that I talked to said that she really needs an eco cardo gram, and possibly an ultra sound  I just do not have that kind of money at all. Even making payments isn't going to work I don't think I could pay enough each month to get it down. All it would do is just grow in size from the interest  Looked into care credit, and I don't qualify

I just need a miracle.  Please pray for a miraculous recovery that that makes the vet just dumbfounded.  No medical vet can explain it...accept it was a plain out miracle from god!

Mel & The Gang

Vibes for Faith.

This sounds like congested Heart Failure - which is why I think they prescribed these two medicines to her.....
Make Absolute sure to give the furmosimide - that is Lasix, a diuretic that will push the fluids that is around her lungs and heart out so she can breath. You HAVE to give her this medicine on time as prescribed, otherwise your baby will suffocate. I am sorry for my urgency on my post, but I just lost my kitty to CHF, 13 days ago ..... Lasix is a wonder drug and it will keep her alive.
Enalapril will make her heart get stronger with time and prevent heart attacks.
Both these medications will be given for life, if this is CHF.
What is the dosage she is on for each one?
Keep the stress at a minimum...... this will prevent heart attacks...... Put the medications inside of a treat - a bit of tuna, a piece of cheese, a bit of cream cheese, or whatever you do.... but she has to take them on time.
If she responds to the medication, she can have many years of life with you, just adjusting them..... As I said for CHF those are the treatments..... It is usually caused by HCM or Thyroid disease - since your cat is so young.... probably the case is HCM. There is a blood test you can do for it.....
For now, you just need to get her over this crisis...... Then I would advise you to seek a cardiologist.
Please please give her the meds....
All the luck to you.....

mizmelzy said:

Thank you. Right now the other Emergency vet that I talked to said that she really needs an eco cardo gram, and possibly an ultra sound  I just do not have that kind of money at all. Even making payments isn't going to work I don't think I could pay enough each month to get it down. All it would do is just grow in size from the interest  Looked into care credit, and I don't qualify

I just need a miracle.  Please pray for a miraculous recovery that that makes the vet just dumbfounded.  No medical vet can explain it...accept it was a plain out miracle from god!

Mel & The Gang

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Get her a little better and get x-rays done in different angles of the chest..... that's cheaper than US. There's a blood test called Cardiopet proBNP Test that a vet can perform to screen for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

All of my thoughts are with you and Faith. 

I do want to give you encouragement that you can handle this. About 1 1/2 years ago I was living through a nightmare with my family....my father's alcoholism was raging, he was becoming physically and emotionally abusive to my mom and my sweet dog had something wrong with him. We couldn't figure it out but he was in pain and finally realized it was a spinal cord tumor. I was trying to help my mother financially figure out how to get out and away from Dad and watching my dog deteriorate at an alarming rate. The vet recommended a $2,000 test and subsequent $4,000 surgery for Andy. There was just no possible way in this world I could handle that financially or emotionally. The day I had to euthanize my Andy after he fought that nasty, vicious cancer for almost a year was one of the most horrific days of my life. After arriving home from the vet's office after letting Andy go, our big dog walked past me and I noticed a HUGE tumor on his leg. My worry shot through the roof. The next day, my mom called me crying and carrying on....my dad had chocked her and she had to call the police. On Monday the vet recommended emergency surgery on our big dog's leg. 24 hours later, he still wasn't out from under the anesthesia. My life was hell. I broke down, bawled, screamed and called out sick from work. I was done. Done.  

But, I'm here today. And you will be here tomorrow. I hope with all my heart Faith is OK, for both of your sakes. And whatever else is happening in your life to increase your anxiety, I hope you can see through to the other side.....there is always the other side. It isn't always fun getting there, but it is there. I promise. 

What is HCM? I've tried a pill pocket and she will not take it.  I'm so afraid to force it down her throat that it will kill her from the stress. I may try to put it in some baby food to see if she'll take it. Otherwise, I may not have a choice. I may have to pill her.  I wish they'd give her something to make her want to eat. Because then she might take the pill pocket on her own. I will be taking her to the vet in the morning again to check up on her.   She needs the enalipril 2x daily. Shes on 5mg 2x daily now and 40mg of Furosemide 2x daily.  I should make sure that this is okay for her to take this much. I don't want to have a vet giving too much of something and that ends up being what kills her!

Mel & The Gang

mizmelzy said:

What is HCM? I've tried a pill pocket and she will not take it.  I'm so afraid to force it down her throat that it will kill her from the stress. I may try to put it in some baby food to see if she'll take it. Otherwise, I may not have a choice. I may have to pill her.  I wish they'd give her something to make her want to eat. Because then she might take the pill pocket on her own. I will be taking her to the vet in the morning again to check up on her.   She needs the enalipril 2x daily. Shes on 5mg 2x daily now and 40mg of Furosemide 2x daily.  I should make sure that this is okay for her to take this much. I don't want to have a vet giving too much of something and that ends up being what kills her!


Mel & The Gang

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Sounds like the right dosage - my baby was on Furosemide 3 times a day at first, then 2x a day - the Enalapril will lower once she gets stable (Grqacie was also at 2x a day, then lowered to once a day).
As I said - first try with a treat - do you have cream cheese? Tuna? Anything? Any soft treat?
But these are life-saving meds- she has has to take them. I can not stress this enough. Without Furosemide she will not be able to breathe
HCM = hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Wait -
CALL another ER and check on the dosages - they seem to be too high

Gracie was 13lbs
She was on Enalapril 2.5mg 2x a day
Lasix (Furosemide) 12.5mg 3x a day, then lowered to 2x a day

Check to see if the Lasix isn't split in 1/2 - mypills were 25mg, but thy came to me split in 1/2, so 12.5mg a dose.
For Enalapril, it was also 1/2 pill (the pills are 5mg, but they split in 1/2.

Considering the weight of your cat,the enalapril might be ok.
My concern is the Lasix - it would be ok for today.... but you have to check tomorrow.
(Gracie took a pretty strong Lasix shot at the vet on the first day....... on the top of the pills)

I crushed a pill of the enalapril and put it in some water. Just about 1oz or so and then put it in her mouth.  I called the vet. He said it was a good try, and that I did good. I had wet friskies food. Heated it up. Smells like tuna. Nope she would not eat it at all. I tried ham, turkey both heated up. She sniffed but did nothing.  She has not been out of her carrier to eat, drink or anything She just lays there.  I feel so helpless! The vet said that if she's not better or at least eating in the am, I need to bring her in.  He then wants xrays and blood test.  I can't sleep. I'm afraid to sleep.  I took the top of the carrier off, and she's laying there. She's not breathing through her mouth right now. She's breathing through her nose.  But she has some heavy breathing, not too much more than normal. The vet said she's very tired probably and very weak from the ordeal.  Her crate smells a little of urine.  I'm afraid to move her to cause her any stress, but don't want her laying in a pee soaked blanket either  If I put her in the litter box, She'll just lay in it all night

Just have not figured why life seems to want to torture me.  I always have to watch people and animals suffer.  I watched my mother suffer from cancer until she died. My father died of cancer and I had to watch him slowly die.  My grandmother slowly withered away and suffered from dementia and CHF.  I had one cat peaches who passed away and after many weeks of all sorts of treatment I watched her suffer and die.  My hope died at 2 from what they figure was congential heart defect.  My smokie has Hyperthyroidism which thankfully is controlled right now. But I went through months of watching him suffer loose weight, throw up etc.  I don't know how much more I can take before I snap completely.  I wish I had her in an animal ER where they could give her things to make her feel better and monitor her so I could sleep. I just don't have the money. As it is, the vet is talking ecocardiogram and possible ultrasound of her heart. I don't have that kind of money

I need prayers that she regains her strength and wants to eat and drink by morning. That she's acting more normal, more her self.  Please god I need a miracle, heal my babies heart help her to get better and stay with me for many many many more years to come!

Mel & The Gang

Ok.... I understand you.... I JUST went through this....
She has to get through this crisis, and if she responds to the medications, she really can get better :cross:
I will warn you - it can get much worst - it can get very very bad before it gets better..... and you have to be strong..... You have to be strong for your girl
But the medicine working, flushing those fluids out of her lungs, and helping her heart to keep stronger, she can get a very good quality of life. She is going through a crisis right now..... But little by little she will get better.
You have to maintain yourself calm... and I know it is really really hard..... I was just there but stressing out will not help things.
You can know a LOT from x-rays and that blood test. Sure, an Ultrasound and electrocardiogram would be great..... but you can't afford it, you cant' afford it. With the different angles of x-rays, you can see if she has an enlarged heart, an thickened wall of the heart, fluid around the heart and the lungs. You can see if other organs are affected - you can make a treatment plan. You can go from there.
One step at a time hun....
For tonight, get your girl out of that crate, put her in a dry, comfortable place, where she has access to a lower litter box. Move everything close to her - water, food etc. Keep on loving her.... talking to her.... but take her out of that crate - crates themselves can be stressful for cats.... let alone the pee.....
Keep putting the water and the food right by her head - so that she doesn't even need to get up to drink.
Yes - there will be times when she will make to the litter box and she will just lay in there, as she will be too weak to do anything, or to get out..... then you help her out of there.....
She will probably pee laying down.......
But it will pass as she gets stronger....... make sure she eats - get some baby food (plain meat and broth - NO garlic no onions), and try to feed her with a spoon. Just place the spoon right in front of her mouth - she will lick it.
mix the wet food with water and make it very very runny, so it is very easy to chew - she will get weak...... it is going to be hard to chew.
Wet your finger on the food and see if she will lick it off of it - try to feed the wet food with your fingers.
There is a lot of tips on assist feeding here
Just know that it takes a bit of time, getting worst before it gets better happens, it can be very, very scary, but many, many cats survive this, and have a very good life, with a very good quality life - pretty much of a regular cat, for years to come.
You have, no matter what, to give those meds. On time, time and time again.

Carolina has already said pretty much what I would. Our Jamie was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) almost 2 1/2 years ago through the blood test Carolina posted above. He went into congestive heart failure at the end of October and was given multiple Furosemide injections a day until he was stabilized, then put on 10 mg. 3x a day in pill form, which was later dropped to his current dosage of 10 mg. 2x a day. He's been getting 2.5 mg of benazepril daily since first being diagnosed. He weighs 6.9 kg. (just over 15 lbs.). He also takes beta blockers and aspirin.

It's extremely important that you get the meds, especially the lasix, into Faith, even if it means actually putting the pills into her mouth. We just had a thread two days ago, Giving pills?, with links to articles and other threads which should help. Her appetite should pick up once the meds are working and making her feel better. She'll have to continue on the medications for life, and there's really no way of predicting how long that will be.

Mega that Faith gets through this crisis and you enjoy a lot more time with her. Keep us posted.

I have no knowledge or experience with anything like this,

but i hope Faith will get better soon!



Vibes and love for your kitty!

I just wanted to thank everyone for their encoragment. I brought Faith back in to the vet at about 2am, and she had another stroke. She literally had to be on oxygen or she started to crash.  They did xrays to find an enlarged heart. Her heart muscles had been damaged so bad that they have her a 20% survival rate even with meds.  So I had to make the hard decision, and she had to be sent to the rainbow bridge.  Her heart was just too damaged, and she'd keep having repeated strokes.  I didn't want her to suffer the way she was. It was a hard decision to make, but I felt her quality of life right now would suffer.  I loved her so much, I couldn't let her.  It's so hard. Even though there are 5 cats here, I feel so alone  Her squeeks will be missed terribly.

Mel & The Gang

I'm very, very sorry to hear that. I'll close this thread now. When you feel up to it, you can post a tribute to Faith in Crossing The Bridge.

RIP, Faith.