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Flowerbelle has high blood pressure

post #1 of 17
1/25/12 at 1:10pm
Thread Starter 
OK. We went for the follow-up blood pressure as Flowerbelle finished the doxycycline for bronchitis. ( Flowerbelle's turn: Heart problems? Asthma? Megacolon? )

Her BP was 200. Stan said if it was 180, he may not recommend this, but given her level of stress (which wasn't so bad! clap.gif ), and that he DID hear a Level 1 heart murmur, if it were his cat, he'd use blood pressure medication.

He wants her on it for three weeks. We have a follow-up exactly three weeks from today, same time, same place. laughing02.gif If her BP is down to 140-160 with no murmur, we keep her on the medication with close monitoring. If it isn't down that much, or he still hears the murmur, then we go for an echocardiogram.

Otherwise she looked and sounded great! He heard NOTHING in her lungs - all clear. And she weighed 8 pounds - exactly what she weighed last month. So removing her kibble altogether last week in the switch to raw has not impacted her weight. Good to know I'm feeding her the right amount. In 2009, she weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces. laughing02.gif It wouldn't hurt if she lost SOME weight, but she's good. biggrin.gif
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post #2 of 17
1/25/12 at 1:17pm
Thread Starter 
Oh - the medication is Amlodipine Besylate. She's been prescribed 2.5mg. I'm about to go look it up. He said it is very "mild." dontknow.gif

Oh - that 's the generic of Norvasc.
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post #3 of 17
1/25/12 at 1:23pm
Thread Starter 
For those interested, a good article: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_amlodipine_besylate.html , and the companion article, http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_high_blood_pressure.html
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post #4 of 17
1/25/12 at 5:09pm
Hi sweetie and loads of love and scritches to Flowerbelle for being such a good baby today at the vet. I am sorry about her BP but have no doubt she couldn't be in better hands with TWO loving parent's to care for her heartpump.gif. Let's just hope that the medication will lower the BP and maintain her so the heart murmur WILL go away. cross.gif WOW she is a tiny little thing - 8 pounds..... so precious rub.gif..... vibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gif
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post #5 of 17
1/25/12 at 6:25pm

I hope the blood pressure medicine works and you don't have to keep looking for answers.

 

Is it just me or is a feline blood pressure cuff not the most adorable little tiny medical device???  laughing02.gif  If I hadn't been so worried when they were taking Cleo's I would have laughed out loud. 

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post #6 of 17
1/26/12 at 7:15am
Thread Starter 
We didn't get to see the cuff! But I expect it is darn cute. laughing02.gif

We started her on the Norvasc this morning. The vet said it may make her sleepy for the first few days, but if she doesn't perk back up day 3 or 4, to stop the medication for a day or two, then start it again.
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post #7 of 17
1/26/12 at 7:31am
Good vibes for Flowerbelle that it works.
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post #8 of 17
1/26/12 at 12:05pm

Did they take 10 or so readings?  Tha'st what they do when they take Sven's, because our Vet says just being at the Vet kind of stresses them out  (depending on the Cat...our Sven is pretty mellow and they still take 10), then they take the highest and lowest and average them out (I think).  

 

Anyway, vibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifthat the medicine does the trick cross.gif 

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post #9 of 17
1/26/12 at 12:14pm

Thinking of sweet Flowerbelle. hugs.gif vibes.gif

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post #10 of 17
1/26/12 at 4:57pm
Thread Starter 
hugs.gifhugs.gifhugs.gif all, and thanks. heartpump.gif

They take 5. But they factored in her stress level in the decision. He said at 180 he might be inclined to let it slide - but not 200. She seemed quite relaxed while they were doing it. She was, in fact, purring and giving the vet tech kisses. laughing02.gifkiss.gif (Flowerbelle gives kisses, it's so sweet).

So far so good! I wouldn't call her lethargic - but she has slept most of the day. When she's up, she's VERY "Flowerbelle" - perky and pestering us. laughing02.gif And her appetite is just fine. biggrin.gif
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post #11 of 17
1/26/12 at 5:46pm
YAY Glad to hear that she is still her perky, darling self when she was not napping today happy2.gifrub.gif Hopefully then the medication won't make her to groggy and out-of-it. cross.gif Extra loving vibes for sweet Flowerbelle tonight rub.gifvibes.gifrub.gifvibes.gifrub.gifvibes.gifrub.gifvibes.gif AND loads of hugs.gif for momma heartpump.gif
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post #12 of 17
2/15/12 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 
We were back for our follow-up today. Her BP is 72. Doc was SO HAPPY she responded so well to the Novasc! clap.gifclap.gifclap.gif He can still hear the murmur. Definitely Grade 1 only, and the sound is of valve regurgitation, not a muscle problem. He advises we DO get an ECG within 3-4 months just to have a baseline. But he does not recommend the ProBNP test for her. It detects enzymes created by the change in heart muscle, and with the sound of her murmur combined with the GREAT response to the medication, he does not believe this is HCM. smile.gif

She's lost 6 ounces in three weeks. He was wondering what would happen moving her to fully timed meals, raw food and no kibble. laughing02.gif He thinks this is great - not too fast - and was quite pleased. She did weigh 8 pounds when we went - but that was the anomaly. Over the course of her 8 years, as an adult, she's always weighed just under or just over 7 pounds. He doesn't want us to worry about pushing food at her. clap.gif
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post #13 of 17
2/15/12 at 1:14pm
Thread Starter 
OH! They brought the blood pressure thing into the room today. It was DARN cute! And she's so little, they had to use the smallest cuff. They were surprised she didn't react at all to the buzzer used to shave her leg... I hadn't told the technician she's deaf. laughing02.gif Such a good little patient she is!
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post #14 of 17
2/15/12 at 5:24pm
AWWWWW My heart is just overjoyed at this update on our sweet little darling Flowerbelle. HOW CUTE the little, tiny BP cuff. I am extremely relieved to hear that the vet does NOT believe this is HCM clap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gif You must be even more relieved than me rofl.gif...but I really am thankful for this news and that the vet is not recommending the ProBNP test and only the EKG. LOVE the great reports heartpump.gifbiggthumpup.gif A gentle hugs.gif and rub.gif to Flowerbelle for being such a wonderful, willing little patient wink.gif
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post #15 of 17
2/15/12 at 5:37pm

Hi Laurie, I'm sorry to hear Flowerbelle has high blook pressure, but I'm glad to hear she is doing better with her bp medicationsmile.gif I've never seen the blood pressure thing for kitties, I can only imagine how cute it is hahalaughing02.gif Aww Flowerbelle is such a sweet girl, it is amazing she is so good and happy when she visits the vet, my Lucas is very good at the vet, but he is not happy, he gets scared and he purrs a lot, but  it is because the poor baby is terrified.

 

I hope your precious girl continues to do so well:)vibes.gifvibes.gifvibes.gifheartpump.gif

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post #16 of 17
2/16/12 at 4:24am
That is such good news!I hope it continues to go well for her.
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post #17 of 17
2/16/12 at 5:22am

Oh I have been wondering how she is doing....that is great news.  I am sure ;you feel like a weight has been lifted.  I think Fetchs BP is normal.  Never feel his heart when I lift him. 

 

You deserve good news.  Hugs to Flowerbelle!

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