Persian old girl diagnosed with an enlarged heart

Good day to all

I emigrated to another country and decided to take my Persian cat along.  She is 10 years old.  Had to spend 9 months in quarantine and needless to say, she has more frequent flyer points than I have.

She landed here in April and soon afterwards she developed a stomach problem.  I took her to the vet and she was booked into the vet clinic for a week.  In order for her to start eating again they injected her with steroids.  This worked for a while and then she stopped eating and became very lethargic and had a breathing problem.

I rushed her in to the University Vet unit and they put her in ICU.  Had to drain water from her lungs and stomach.  They also diagnosed an enlarged heart.  Did sonar tests, heaps of x-rays and blood tests and needless to say the 10k it cost me to get her here looks rather huge to other people but her ongoing tests and medication and hospitalisation has cost me more than that already.

The Uni Vet said that she should not be jumping on or off things, no excitement and, she might live another 3 months or 3 years but that it will become progressivly worse.... tears tears.... Even more tears as my young persian boy loves to play with her and cannot understand that she is not well....

I am happy to say, she is back home and eating again.  She is on 1/8th of a duretic tablet 3 times a day, 1/4 potasium twice daily and 1/8th warfarin to thin the blood.  I got a nice pil cutter so I can really get her medication right.

Being a persian and a very small one, it is tough to get the tablets down and hiding it in food only results her not eating that food again.

Is there anyone out there with a kitty with the same problem?

I want to enquire what would be  realy good home cooked meals for her.  She is not fond of tinned food and always had H Science diet dry food but she also have problem with her teeth and the vet said not to put her through extracting any as it is not that bad and that her heart will not do well if she is put under anesia..

Currently I cook her chicken breasts without skin and then add 1/4 carrot and 2 teaspoons of gelatin.  I do not overcook it and let it cool and then liquidise the veggie and some of the meat and when it is cooled she loves the jelly sauce and eats about half a chicken breast over a day.  I worry that there is no other vitamins etc in the food so I also give her a packet food from H Science diet once or twise a week.

Any suggestions.

I've never had a cat with an enlarged heart, nor ever had a cat that needed to be pilled every day of their life forever, but there are many people here who DO have their cats on maintenance for life, many give more pills than you are faced with .  Some people choose to put ALL the portions of pills into one empty gel cap and only have to pill them once with all the doses.  Others had them in treats or pill pockets or some type of food, even cream cheese...whatever then can find that will disguise the pill.  Others just become experts at pilling. 

As far as nutrition, I don't know if the gelatin is being added for calcium or what, but I've never heard of that being added to a homemade cat food before.  What I DO know is that she needs some organs added at a minimum in order for her diet to be nutritionally complete.  Here is a reference thread that has all kinds of great material for homemade cat food.  Please read it all before you food her ONLY homemade food, otherwise you could be doing her a huge injustice and actually harm her by not giving her everything she  needs.   As far as her enlarged heart, did your Vet tell you to stay away from certain foods (salt perhaps?)  I'm just guessing at that since she's on a diuretic. 

for your little one.  Hoping she does well with her pills, and that you find some way to give them to her without further stress to her. 

I just lost my kitty to heart disease so I am very familiar with treatment and medications. Tabby ended up in ICU 2 yrs. ago with fluid on the lungs, struggling to breathe. I didnt know if he would make it. When he did, I had to figute out how to medicate him. pilling him was not an option. I ended up crushing up his meds into powder form and mixing it with baby food twice a day. We did that every day for the past two years. I also learned it was impossible to restrict his activity and just let him be a cat. We had 2 more quality years together and I gave him as much love as I possibly could. Good luck with your girl, you will figure it out.

Have you thought about crushing the pill and mixing with a little water and then syringing into her mouth. It's quick, easier and less stressful on cat and owner. Good luck x