Out of breath, panting, swallowing => Heart condition? Tumor? Fat?

Cali, my chf cat, was really bad when he was diagnosed - fighting for every breath, fluid on his lungs, struggling to eat. With treatment (and regular vet visits) he made it around 6 months - it might have been longer, I just can't remember what month he was diagnosed. Pixie wasn't quite so advanced - medication has given him an almost normal life. He's just a little slower than he used to be.

Well, he sure loves to chase Diesel and being chased by that white demon and I don't think there is any way to stop them to do it anyway. I'll leave them be and play their little game.

I'm not sure MY own heart won't stop the first few times, being scared out of my mind of something happening, but I'm sure it will get better, with time.

He just jumped on me right now, looking for me to scratch his head, totally oblivious of everything. Made me smile

Adjusting and processing the news is so hard and scary. I was pretty certain of Pixie's diagnosis before he got it, but it was still devestating. Just remember - Poison is exactly the same as he was this morning. All that's happened is that you have some new information. That's really positive. It means you know what you're dealing with and how to manage it.

That he is, for sure. He went to check the bowl of the automatic feeder as soon as he realised he was back home lol. Unfortunatly for him, Helium (my third cat) ate Poison part

It's so sad for Cali.... 6 months... that's so short... I'm so lucky Poison has no bad symptoms right now. His breathing is a little quicker than should be but it's still fine.

Yes, it is hard and scary... I'm scared and lost too.

 I need to learn how to deal with it. I'll get there, I guess.

I know you can find the strength to cope with this. The reality isn't as scary as it first sounds, I promise

I will, thank @catwoman707 and @Columbine for being there and giving advices and sharing your experiences

He is beautiful. Don't start saying your goodbyes yet - he certainly doesn't sound or look anywhere near ready to go!

Cali, a month or two before he got bad

I'm sorry that the diagnosis was not good.

About 20 years ago, my fathers cat got sick, so he was brought to a vet. On X-ray, his heart stretched from one side of his ribcage to the other. I'm not sure if this is what Poison has. The vet gave us 2 years but suggested taurine supplement. Again, ask your vet. However, my dads cat lived another 7 years.

Poison is gorgeous, by the way!

Columbine said:

Cali, a month or two before he got bad

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Oh no, I'm quite schoked right now, but I'm not near ready to say goodbye! No way!!

Cali was beautiful too. Actually, red (orange) cats are my forever favorites. I don't know why , I don't have any lol.

You're so welcome

What a beauty, a handsome boy he is! Love this pic

misterwhiskers said:

I'm sorry that the diagnosis was not good.

About 20 years ago, my fathers cat got sick, so he was brought to a vet. On X-ray, his heart stretched from one side of his ribcage to the other. I'm not sure if this is what Poison has. The vet gave us 2 years but suggested taurine supplement. Again, ask your vet. However, my dads cat lived another 7 years.

Poison is gorgeous, by the way!

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Thank you, Taurine is one of the things I want to talk with my vet about.

Your father's cat story gives me hopes. Seven years is better than 3 for sure.

Thank you for Poison!

20 years ago it wasn't known that cats were unable to synthesise their own taurine (unlike dogs), so taurine deficiency would have been a common cause of heart problems. Today, all complete cat foods have taurine added in the correct amount, so supplementation isn't necessary.

Hi guys,

so I had a rough night, thinking about all this again and again.

My oldest cat Helium was on very bad food before we adopted her when she was 6 years old but Diesel and Poison (we got them at respectively  6 weeks and less than 2 weeks) have always been on good ultra premium food. I forgot yesterday to re-check Taurine in it so I did just that first thing this morning. 1500mg/kg where the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) recommands 1000mg/kg. So they have enough Taurine in their food, right?

I also thought about Poison swallowing a lot. With his head going forward and all, he does this sometimes up to 10 times a minute, then he'd stop and resume a moment later. I thought maybe it was due (maybe) to him producing more saliva than my other cats. But as I researched HCM yesterday, I found that it could be caused by Hyperthyroïdism. Could his thyroid being bigger and bothering him?

There's so many questions dancing in my head!

 

Sitting with his neck stretched forward and swallowing (esp preceded by cough/retch) is classic for chf/hcm. Is there stong abdominal breathing too? Call your vet ASAP - the most likely cause is fluid on the lungs. A diuretic is needed if that's the case. Don't panic, but it is urgent.

Just done some quick research. Hyperthyroidism is generally seen in much older cats. It's highly unlikely that Poison has it. The most probable explanation for his hcm is simply genetics. Don't torture yourself researching too much online. Focus on the cat in front of you

Hello,

I want to tell you that Poison and I are in the same boat (not my kittens thank goodness, I myself have HCM). I do not tell you this because I want to draw any attention away from Poison. I want to tell you this because I feel that it can't be said enough that you have been a good parent. Nothing, and I mean nothing you did or did not do caused this to happen to your kitty. CatWoman is absolutely right that this condition is almost certainly genetic. You voiced concerns that maybe if you had taken Poison in sooner that he could have been better helped - this is not true. Even in humans you cannot stop the growth of the muscles and scar tissue, only treat it. You have, in fact, gone above and beyond for your kitty. Please, never ever feel guilty. Poison is very lucky to have you!

I am living okay with it. It is a fairly new diagnosis. I discovered I had it because I thought I had pulled a muscle in my ribs, but the test results showed otherwise. I would be happy to tell you everything I know and that is going on with me, but I don't want this post to become about me. Perhaps we could start a new thread, but I'm not exactly sure where it belongs. Always feel free to PM me as well!

Ok, that's fine then   I thought it was a new development. You're doing fine. Post as much and as often as you need to, and ask as many questions as you like. We'll help if we can. 

ellieandwinnie said:

I am living okay with it. It is a fairly new diagnosis. I discovered I had it because I thought I had pulled a muscle in my ribs, but the test results showed otherwise. I would be happy to tell you everything I know and that is going on with me, but I don't want this post to become about me. Perhaps we could start a new thread, but I'm not exactly sure where it belongs. Always feel free to PM me as well!

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Yeah, I'd like to know. I'm not sure either where a new thread would belong, but here is fine by me.

Thanks you