My cat was diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart failure)

animallover212 · Dec 2, 2013

Dear bgregory, My baby Jake was just diagnosed with CHF late last night at the emergency room. I 100% TOTALLY UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL!!! I Can't have children so my cat is my child and he comes first in my life before EVERYONE!!!!! You and I are very alike if my Jake can be weaned off oxygen and is able to return home I KNOW I'm going to have extreme anxiety worrying that he will go back into CHF and will have to go back to the hospital and like you I'm going to have trouble affording his care so I'm GOING TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO PREVENT HIM FROM GOING BACK INTO IT!!! I know that you and I SHOULDN'T have so much anxiety but until a pet parent goes through such a difficult and scary event they CAN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM!! I'll keep you and your baby in my prayers.

animallover212 · Dec 2, 2013

I'm also childless and my baby Jake was just diagnosed late last night with CHF. He was admitted and put on oxygen and Lasix. Today the vet said they're having trouble weaning him from the oxygen. I'M SOOO DEVASTAED BY THIS, HE'S MY WORLD!!! EVEN MY HUSBAND KNOWS THAT JAKE COMES FIRST!!!! I'm just VERY GREATFUL that he came into our lives in 2000 and has a GREAT LIFE and is VERY SPOILED!!!! I'm sooo afraid that he's going to have to be put to sleep today but I CAN'T LET HIM SUFFER AND NOT HAVE A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE!!!! I honestly THANK GOD FOR BRINGING US TOGETHER!!!!! If he is able to make it home just a bgregory I'll let him be outside a lot where he's happiest and he will be spoiled even more!!!!! I HATE THIS PART OF LIFE!!!!!! But I'm just trying to focus on ALL the FUN the three of us have had and how happy he and I make each other. I'm thankful that I found this site and that EVERYONE IS SOOO SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING!!!! MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND ALL YOUR BABIES!!!!

alyssa888 · Dec 21, 2013

HI, I was just wondering how your cat is doing since you posted here 6 months ago. My 2 year old cat was diagnosed with congestive heart failure last month (he actually would have died the same day had I not taken him to the vet), but now that he's on medication he is doing much better. But I can't help but wonder how much time he will have left, especially since he progressed so quickly at such a young age. His heart is doing better now but his left atria is "near severe" dilation-wise. I'm a nursing student and I'm already up to $5500 in vet bills. I won't be able to afford another hospitalization, I couldn't even afford the last one, and I'm just afraid he will need to go back to the emergency vet before I graduate.

missredmini · Nov 28, 2014

My cat Tobey was diagnosed with CHF a week ago and it was in the final stages, I Think. We are lucking to be by UCSD Davis and could take him there where they were able to drain the fluid from around his heart. Tobey is only 18 mo. and I knew he had a heart murmur when I got him, but this has been de stating to me. He use to always be by me and know he won't have anything to do with me. Have any of you had this same problem? He is not eating and even with the meds I think he just is just going to starve himself.

jcat · Nov 28, 2014

Not eating is a bad sign. Have you had him back to the vet's since the fluid was drained? Our last cat suffered a potassium deficiency due to the diuretics he was prescribed for HCM/CHF and stopped eating. It wasn't until a potassium supplement was added that he regained his appetite. It may be that Tobey's meds will have to be adjusted. :vibes:

for him!

missredmini · Nov 29, 2014

Tobey is off the diuretic for now and on anti nausea but still not eating. We don't go back to the doc's till next week. Plus now I think he hates me. He won't have anything to do with me, but of course I am the one giving all the meds and he hates it. I am afraid he is going to starve to death.

peterbee · Apr 19, 2015

I was just told that my cat has chf. You could have knocked me over with a feather. My husband & I are devastated. He is 16 years old. We were given 4 different meds to put
In this capsule & administer at the back of his tongue. He is giving such a hard time I just wonder if someone knows an easier way to do this. He fights us unbelievably. We are
getting very anxious which is not helping the situation.

If anyone has a suggestion please let me know. Thanks.

Columbine · Apr 19, 2015

I'm so sorry. I've been through chf with a cat and am going through it with a dog.

Breathe deep. Stay calm (even if you're faking). Butter the capsule if he has hard time swallowing. Either wait til he's fast asleep, then go to him (from behind) quietly, restrain him gently with one hand, gently push the pill to the back of his tounge, hold his head up a bit and massage his throat gently until he swallow. Or kneel down with legs slightly apart, snuggle him between your legs, gently but firmly restrain forward movement with one hand etc (as first method).

If he really struggles with pills, see if you can get liquid meds to syringe into his mouth. That's often easier for resolute pill avoiders.

Don't panic (though I know it's hard), take each day as it comes and enjoy him as much as you can. I hope you have many days, weeks and months left with him. :vibes:

Columbine · Apr 19, 2015

missredmini said:
Tobey is off the diuretic for now and on anti nausea but still not eating. We don't go back to the doc's till next week. Plus now I think he hates me. He won't have anything to do with me, but of course I am the one giving all the meds and he hates it. I am afraid he is going to starve to death.

I'm sure he doesn't hate you. Even if he hates the meds, he knows you're trying to help. My Cal (pictured) hated his meds, but would come and find me if I was late.

Try smearing his tounge and lips with a tiny bit of food to stimulate his appetite. Hand feeding morsel by morsel helps too. Tuna water or chicken water is better than nothing, and at least help hydration. If his breathing is laboured, he may simply not gave the breath to eat. If you think that's the case, you must get him to a vet.

I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. :hugs:

Oops - just seen the date of M missredmini 's post. I'm sorry. I need to read properly before typing. :anon:

kmd · Apr 20, 2015

I have great success using a pill popper with all of our cats, I put the cat in a towel with just the head sticking out, kinda tilt the head back and they usually open their mouths in a few seconds. I then use the pill popper to put the capsule toward the back of the throat, when they have the pill, I then use a syringe with a small amount of water in it to help get the pill down.

I know some people don't care for the being put in a towel, but ours seem to stay calm that way and you don't have any fighting paws to deal with.

peterbee · Apr 21, 2015

Thank you for the helpful hints being given for Peterbee. I am going to try those pill pockets today. If that still doesn't work too good I will see if any of his meds comes in liquid form. Very depressing he just mopes around from one place to another. Can't get him interested in anything. Makes me sad to see this. Thanks for your input & thanks for welcoming me

di and bob · Apr 21, 2015

My best luck has been to get the Pill pockets and tear a small piece off, just enough to 'cement' the pill to a favorite cat treat, like Temptations. It has never failed to get my cat to take his daily meds. All the luck!

jcat · Apr 21, 2015

P peterbee

Having had an HCM cat, I feel for you. Jamie was almost impossible to pill, but we found a few things that worked most of the time:
Ideas for "hiding" pills?

This article has a lot of ideas: Pilling Cats: Must-Know Tips for Hiding Pills

peterbee · Apr 22, 2015

Thank you very much

bookscats · Apr 25, 2015

My 14-year old cat has had heart failure for 2 years now. Pill Pockets worked for meds for 1 year. Make them as small as possible. Then she went off them. She's impossible to pull; tried all the tricks. We were both so stressed about the pills and she wouldn't come near me. Talked to my vet about stopping all meds to improve her quality of the time left. Vet suggested having a compounding pharmacy make the meds into an ear cream. Couldn't get all 3 meds but got the diuretic and the ace-inhibitor into a cream. So so much easier. I could get it in while she was napping. Now we're on cream for heart and an shot for diuretic. Shot just under skin, behind the neck, easy. And still not nearly the stress of the pills. It's about the quality of life. Talk to your vet about other options and more palliative care. Good luck.

peterbee · Apr 25, 2015

I was wondering if someone had a similar situation with the behavior of their cat after being diagnosed with chf. He is acting strange for him with meowing in the day on & off & also during the night. He grunts through the house & it seems as though he is agitated most of the time. I have one of those fountains for him & he just lays on the floor with his head on the water fountain looking like he doesn't care about anything. Does this sound like he's depressed. When he meows it is not a sound as if he is in pain but I was wondering if he could be. I would hate to think so & not be doing anything about it. I just don't know what to think anymore very confused. Has anyone had the same situation with a sick cat.

Please if anyone has gone through this could you tell me if your circumstances sound the same. I would appreciate any help I can get. Thank you. Marie B.

Columbine · Apr 25, 2015

I'm so sorry your boy isn't doing well. It could be worth talking to your vet about drug side effects - some drugs can cause depression and other mood or behavioural changes. Cal got depressed on high doses of furosemide (diuretic), so we had to fiddle with the dose to find the right balance for him. I'm not saying you need to rush him back to the vet, but I think a phone call would be a good idea. If it is drug related the solution could be fairly straightforward. Try not to stress too much (easier said than done, I know). Just do what you can to reassure him.

barbb · Jun 16, 2015

peter B I would get him checked for pain bc vocalizing can be due to pain. But also first call yr vet to make sure it's not related to any of his meds. If he was given an appetite stimulant, that could make him act that way.

zecorah · Jul 29, 2015

I'm so thankful to find this thread. After I read the first post I felt like I could relate entirely, bringing me to tears actually. My baby Mickey is around 11-12 years old now and about a month ago he was acting very lethargic, so I took him to the vet. He was diagnosed with heart disease and was given some medication. All was well for a week until he acted the same again, took him back to find out it had gotten worse. I was given a stronger type of drug as well as some for pain relief if he were having another one of his bad days (where he is extremely lethargic, not moving anywhere). Now for the past week he's been on and off again lethargic looking off into space and I feel as if every minute I'm at home away from work I'm watching his breathing patterns. The other day I honestly thought I'd lost him when he stopped breathing for a few seconds. I've been constantly crying my eyes out and have felt so depressed at work because I can't get mind off of the possibility of him passing anytime soon. I'm not ready for his death, as anyone would say, and i feel guilty for his suffering but as stated in a post above I feel like I'd be cutting his life short as he has had some good days in between the bad ones. When his passing does come I don't think I'll be able to cope for weeks... it pains me to even think about it now. But we have to keep moving forward and keeping strong for our little kitties.

Columbine · Jul 29, 2015

zecorah said:
I'm so thankful to find this thread. After I read the first post I felt like I could relate entirely, bringing me to tears actually. My baby Mickey is around 11-12 years old now and about a month ago he was acting very lethargic, so I took him to the vet. He was diagnosed with heart disease and was given some medication. All was well for a week until he acted the same again, took him back to find out it had gotten worse. I was given a stronger type of drug as well as some for pain relief if he were having another one of his bad days (where he is extremely lethargic, not moving anywhere). Now for the past week he's been on and off again lethargic looking off into space and I feel as if every minute I'm at home away from work I'm watching his breathing patterns. The other day I honestly thought I'd lost him when he stopped breathing for a few seconds. I've been constantly crying my eyes out and have felt so depressed at work because I can't get mind off of the possibility of him passing anytime soon. I'm not ready for his death, as anyone would say, and i feel guilty for his suffering but as stated in a post above I feel like I'd be cutting his life short as he has had some good days in between the bad ones. When his passing does come I don't think I'll be able to cope for weeks... it pains me to even think about it now. But we have to keep moving forward and keeping strong for our little kitties.

CHF is such an evil disease. I'm so sorry you're having to deal with it. Enjoy the good days and stay strong - for Mickey's sake. Focus on the present. When the time comes you'll find a way to cope. We all do.

My cat was diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart failure)

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