Cat with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

raynaandali

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Hi everyone, I hope this thread find you well.  This site has been an already great support to me since bringing my boy home yesterday evening.  Ali is a 7 year old neutered male (my heart and soul belongs to this boy) and he was discharged yesterday evening after spending a night at a wonderful vet/emergency clinic here in Charlotte.  I took him to his vet for rapid breathing and it was not long after she knew it was his heart.  She was not a cardiologist so she called the newest 24 hour clinic and talked to the cardiologist there (who actually started the clinic after leaving another emergency vet because they were just mongrels for money with no heart for animals). Dr. Sayer was amazing...she did everything necessary not only to diagnose but to resolve the fluid issue around his lungs and get him stable to bring home.  He is now on 4 strong meds but his case is severe and Dr. Sayer truly believes this is what he needs.  He is on Vetmedin, Furosemide, Enalapril and Clopridogrel.  I opted for the gel capsules to make it easier for him and I....he takes 2 capsules in the AM with all his meds inside and 2 at night.  He fights me pretty hard but recovers quickly after we get it over with.  It is the best option.  Dr. Sayer has been on clinical trials, has over ten years experience and literally stated "if this was my cat this is what I would do" so I trust her fully at this point.  I keep an eye on his respiration and make sure that he is eating and drinking which is most important since these meds can mess with the kidneys.  This diagnosis is devastating to anyone but because it was the farthest thing from my mind I am still reeling.  To hear that he could die at any time is terrifying, so I am a nervous wreck.....and when I asked how long he has Dr. Sayer said it is a range...6 months-2 years...perhaps less or more give and take how he responds to all the meds being introduced.  My heart feels as if it has been shattered.  Like many of the people who have written on the threads here I do not have children...I am 32 and a lesbian so it just has not been the right time for me yet.  Ali is the first animal I have ever actually owned....I grew up with my folks having dogs and my partners usually had animals but Ali is mine and the bond we share is just one of unconditional love.

Ali's History

Until June 30th of this year Ali has been perfectly healthy (that I knew of) his regular vet never heard a murmur and to my knowledge I thought he would live out his normal life span.  On June 30th Ali had an episode of nystagmus (rapid eye movement) and a loss of balance.  By the time I got him to the vet he presented "fine" and we decided it would be best to see if it happens again.  Almost a month to the day it happened again, but this time at night and the lights were down in my room so I did not see if his eyes went crazy this time.  Again, I rushed him to this time the ER because it was after hours and again he presented "fine" although that was the first time I heard it could be a possible brain tumor.  They were horrible to me and him and after being treated like garbage Ali and i left and I took him to his vet the next day.  She did a deep inner ear exam and a neuro exam...concluding that he was a bit weak on one side and his left ear looked abnormal.  Brain tumor was on the list of possibilities but since I could not yet afford that we started on antibiotics for the possible ear infection...a few days into the antibiotics he had one or two more episodes so my vet started him on steroids.  After that he was great, no signs of anything I had seen before...I did notice a few days after starting the Prednisone that his respiration was up but we thought it was from the steroids and the stress of the vet visits so I let it slide.  He continued doing ok but on August 29th I realized that he had an infected anal gland and it ruptured shortly after...it was horrible.  The vet took care of it and we decided to continue the slow taper of steroids until this anal gland thing resolved and we could evaluate him better.  The night of September 2nd his respiration was very high and was enough to trouble me so I called the ER and they advised I come in...but since I had such a bad experience at the other ER I decided since he was eating, drinking, using his liter box etc to wait a few hours to take him to his regular vet.  I woke the morning of the 3rd to find his respiration worse and when he got up to walk his back legs were kicking out in a weird way (I found out later it could be a possible blood clot that happened).  That is when the story above begins.

I am baffled, shocked, heart broken...so much at once.  While I want to keep him with me as long as possible if he is not "Ali" and he does not get better and able to play and enjoy life then I will need to consider....I cannot even say it yet :( I am not prepared to lose him yet...I love him to much and we are to close...our bond has made me confidently label myself a crazy cat lady lol. Since coming home he still seems "loopy" I am hoping it is the meds wearing off as she did have to give him sedation two or three times I think just to take the edge off to do the necessary procedures.  He is also scratching his ears and shaking his head alot but when I called they said to give it a few days to see if he adjusts to the meds and if he was still "off" we would reevaluate.  I still cannot believe this is happening but I am trying to stay strong for him. I pray these meds help him be the Ali he has always been.  We may need to adjust the meds and that is ok with me as long as it does not compromise his overall well being. Since he has been home he had eaten, drank, peed twice but no poop yet and slept. I am doing my best not to let him pick up on my stress and anguish. I am dreading 5:30 p.m. when it is "med time".  His poor little leg area where they had the IV is also bruised and sore, so some of his staggered walking may be that.  I am terrified that perhaps he has a brain tumor AND CHF because of the way he is shaking his head and everything.  He had to be taken off the steroids because of his condition so I pray that the "episodes" do not come back and that all this was somehow related.  Dr. Sayer thinks he may have been having irregular heart beats or perhaps even a small stroke which caused his episodes of losing his balance briefly.  I am just ...OVERWHELMED.  I need more time.  I cannot imagine him "going" anytime.  

Reading other peoples experiences have helped so much and which I apologize for my lengthy thread I do hope it helps someone else who is going through this with their animal.  I still have feelings of guilt that i should have "seen" something but even his vet said he never even had a murmur.  Although the steroids might have made this rear its ugly head more prominently at least I was able to notice the increased respiration and bring him in because alot of people come home and their cat has passed or they pass in their sleep and the owner never knows why.  I pray for more time, and for Ali to be Ali again after the shock of the overnight stay and the side effects of the meds wear off.  Please share your stories with me and if you have any knowledge or advice to share it would be SO appreciated.  Much love!View media item 296934
 

margd

Chula and Paul's roommate
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I've never had a cat with CHF but know well the shock of having a beloved cat suddenly diagnosed with a life threatening illness. In one case, my cat was diagnosed with oral cancer and I lost him 11 days later but in the other, my boy lived on for 7 years after his diagnosis of kidney disease. I hope you for you and Ali to have more time together. My boys were my family, too and my heart goes out to you as you go through this. It sounds like you have an excellent vet now - that is so important. Please keep us updated with how Ali does.
 
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