16/17 yo presenting with labored breathing....could vet be wrong?

Bridgette is a16/17 yo Siamese cat. Spayed, indoor only and well cared for. About 7 months ago, I noticed she was wheezing. Took her to the vet where she was diagnosed with asthma. A 3 month cortisone shot was administered and she was better within a few hours.

Fast forward to the present day. I noticed her breathing was again labored this morning....but in a very different way. No cough. Her sides are being sucked in with every breath. She is weak, she goes for water but barely puts her mouth in. Se wobbles when she walks. I was devastated as I had a cat die from FIP several years ago and her symptoms were nearly the same as Bridgette's were today. Trip to the vet expecting to have her suffering ended but the vet said since she got good heart sounds (supposedly because its not muffled by the fluid in her chest cavity) she suspected asthma. She said an X-ray wasn't necessary since she had one at the previous appt (7 months before....a lot can happen in 7 months).

She administered a short term shot of dexamethasone and I brought my sweetie home. However it is now many hours later and there has been no improvement. She even sounds worse, still not able to drink and hasn't been to the potty, not that she would have the strength. She is in bed with my husband but keeps getting up and turning, I think to find comfort. I am sad. Is it possible the vet missed FIP? I am so horrified at the thought I have caused my beloved friend to endure suffering the will not lead to healing. There are only a few overnight vet clinics about an hour and a half from me in either direction.....is there something I can do holistically to ease her suffering/symptoms until I can get her back in the AM?

I was so glad to hear a more favorable diagnosis I didn't question it. Perhaps I should have. Thoughts or helps.? Thank you.

I'm not a vet, cannot say if what is happening now has any connection to what happened 7 months ago. But clearly your cat is in distress, and you - even more so.

I don't know where you are / what time it is. Can you call your veterinarian at an after-hours number, explain what's happening and ask for advice.

If that is not an option, telephone one or another of the emergency clinics, explain what is going on with your sweet cat, and ask if they think she can wait until morning or if it is necessary to bring her in to the clinic ASAP.

I hope all goes well.

Let me welcome you to TCS, just sorry it is for such a distressing reason. Do let us know how things go.

I really don't know what to say, either, other than she needs to see a vet. I agree that you should at least call the 2/7 emergency clinic. I am not experienced with asthma in cats, but since she is not improving and has labored breathing, I would consider this serious. Did they do a full blood panel when she was diagnosed?

If your house is warm and stuffy, you should be the A/C on. That may help her breathe a little better (if its asthma). I know you are stressed and worried, but she can sense that. Try to calm down and console her gently. This may help her to relax, if only a little. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.

I do hope Bridgette will be okay.
 

Any updates on Bridgette? 

Thank you for your concerns, guys. I took Bridgette in this morning. The diagnosis was grim....apparently the help she needed was beyond their capabilities and she would have had to endure the scary process of a far away animal hospital....alone. This, with no promise of recovery. I watched her suffer long enough and decided she needed to rest. She was euthanized at 11 this morning

I'm having a particularly hard time grieving. I got home from the vets office with her little body and while the children were saying their goodbyes before we buried her, I thought I saw her breathing.....I would have sworn to God I saw her moving. I quietly dismissed the kids and made the trek out to the office once again for confirmation. I could still "see" her moving even while the techs confirmed no heart sounds...and finally, after they announced her body temp. I had to face reality, regardless of what my eyes saw........

When I got home again, she was even colder. I forced myself to get on with her burial, since now I was more convinced of the falseness of my delusion. I wrapped her in a pretty pillowcase, gently laid her in her final spot, and covered her over. I came in to take a nap and slept until dinner. I thought I'd feel better but waves of tears kept coming. My 7yo came to get me out of bed and helped me cut a fine bouquet for her grave. That helped. But now here it is, 1am and I keep welling up. I worry I buried her too far from us....I have this fear she is....."lonely" in her far away spot....and wonders why she has to be separated from us as if a punishment.....

Trust me... As I read this back I am all too aware of how ludicrous this sounds.....that coupled with being "that lady" at the vets office this morning.....ugh.....but it's the truth of how I feel.

She always slept with us and now it's empty. She represented so much in my life....she was born about he same time as my daughter. My daughter graduated high school this year. My childhood cats died when I graduated high school. I still remember that question I asked....and, subsequently, my OWN daughter asked as a little girl, "Do you think kitty will live to see me be a grown up?" It represents how I have aged....it reminds me of the time that's passed.....it's overwhelming.

I'm sorry. You didn't ask for all that. I'm shamelessly taking advantage of my anonymity to talk it out.......I don't think there is anyone else personally available to me who can appreciate, understand, or sympathize with my grief because its "just a cat" and, while I do not hide my sadness from my children, I certainly don't want to scare them by getting too emotional, either. Thank you for tolerating my long winded and detailed speech.

That is one reason we are here.  We FULLY understand what you are going thru .   I am so sorry that it ended up with her passing .

When you feel up to it, please feel free to write a tribute to Bridgette in our Crossing the Bridge Forum.  Many people include pictures there too.  It's here:  http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge

This is heartbreaking. I am so sorry for your loss.

It's hard enough making "the decision," but the pain and grieving that follow seem almost unbearable. I can certainly sense the depth of your pain in your post, and it made tears well up in my eyes. Bridgette lived such a long, happy life, and you took great care of her to live so long! Continue to remind yourself that she is no longer in pain...no longer suffering. She loves you for making this decision for her. I remember my mom continually telling me to "be at peace" with the situation and the decision you made for your pet. As I repeated this to myself over and over, it helped. I know you miss Bridgette and things are not the same without her. When the time is right, I hope you can bring yourself to be at peace. Soon you'll be left with wonderful, happy memories that will make you smile.

Thank you for the encouragement.  I feel better today, but as bedtime nears I get a little teary eyed.  Perhaps Ill write the tribute.

patreena32 said:

Thank you for the encouragement.  I feel better today, but as bedtime nears I get a little teary eyed.  Perhaps Ill write the tribute.

Click to expand...

A tribute to Bridgette has been posted in Crossing the Bridge Forum. The link is here.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/262865/my-bridgette

I am now going to lock this thread.