Hi everyone! This week has been particularly grueling for our family. A week ago we brought our darling orange tabby in to the vet as he was presenting so pretty serious breathing problems. After a few X-rays, we were told that he had a significant amount of fluid on his lungs and possibly a mass or enlarged heart as his trachea wasn't following the correct angle. It was clearly being pushed up. They performed a chest tap on him and sent the fluid off, which came back with rich with lymphocytes. They sent us home with clavamox and lasics that day. The day we got results we visited the vet (different vet, same office) who did X-rays to check the fluid in his chest, which needed another tap so she sent us to the specialty center where they tapped him again and only pulled blood. They did find he was anemic. Two days later we were able to get in for an ultrasound on his chest and heart where the specialist found that the side of his heart that is supposed to be smaller (left?) is the same size as the opposite side. Enlarged, but not larger than the other side. They did another chest tap on him as well and pulled 100ml of fluid. They had us stop the previous meds and now he is on Enalapril and spirinolactone. He's not eating and is very thin. While testing was happening he lost 3 pounds. Normally a 12lb cat, he weighed 9.5 last visit. We don't have a definitive diagnosis yet. The vet says that his case is odd and she isn't sure what to make of it. She suspects hypertrophic cardiomyopathy except his heart pumps normally and there is no thickening of the heart muscle. Just that one side is enlarged.
I'm so, so worried about my boy. He's only 4 years old. The day we brought him in was his "birthday." He's been with us since he was 7 weeks old.
Any experience in heart disease in cats or stories if you are comfortable is much appreciated. Also, if anyone can suggest how to get him to eat. We offer dry and wet, even a few dog kibbles (I know he should be eating cat food but dog kibble is better than nothing!) we offered tuna juice, and all different brand and flavor of wet foods. Cream cheese. He takes a few licks here and there but isn't really too serious about eating or drinking. He hasn't used his box either. We will be calling the specialist on Monday since she knew best how to handle his condition.
Alex sunning himself last year, before all of this started!
I'm so, so worried about my boy. He's only 4 years old. The day we brought him in was his "birthday." He's been with us since he was 7 weeks old.
Any experience in heart disease in cats or stories if you are comfortable is much appreciated. Also, if anyone can suggest how to get him to eat. We offer dry and wet, even a few dog kibbles (I know he should be eating cat food but dog kibble is better than nothing!) we offered tuna juice, and all different brand and flavor of wet foods. Cream cheese. He takes a few licks here and there but isn't really too serious about eating or drinking. He hasn't used his box either. We will be calling the specialist on Monday since she knew best how to handle his condition.
Alex sunning himself last year, before all of this started!
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