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- Feb 27, 2015
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Hi, I'm new here...just searching for others who are caring for their cat living with cardiomyopathy. My baby black 'Dot' was diagnosed in October 2014.
I came home from work one very hot evening and found her laying on the floor stretched out, so I lay down with her and express to her....'oh it is just too hot for you isn't it! It's too hot for me! She got up to eat, as that is what my two aging feral cats do when I get home. I watched her. Her breathing seemed a little too rapid. I watched her jump out the window and sit on the roof. I decided that I should take her in. Of course it was evening and had to go to emergency. There it was determined that she had plural infusion related to cardiomyopathy. I asked what I was to expect with this disease. Would she be in pain? would she suffer? I was told that her heart would just stop. I could live with that so I agreed to estimate we began treatment to remove fluid and place her in oxygen cage.
She is on the medication that a human would take with heart disease. Lasix, Plavix, enalipril, potassium and one 'off label' medicine 'vetmedin'.
She is doing remarkable well. However; after spending a bazillion dollars at emergency, I decided to purchased my own oxygen cage should Dot need to have that treatment again, as most of the cost of the emergency care was providing the oxygen therapy for an extended period until her breathing returned to a normal rate. So far, I she has been in the oxygen cage 4 times for about 2 hours, since her 2 day stay in the hospital in October. My Dot now has a cardiologist whom she visits every other month. I never thought I would ever say that! Sounds like it should be a bumper sticker "my cat has a cardiologist"!
I just wanted to say that this is a horrible disease.
Dot came to me 13 years ago when my friend was trapping, altering and releasing the feral cats in our neighborhood. When she trapped the babies, she gave them to me to socialize and find homes for. Dot was one of the 'older' babies and she did not want to be domesticated. She was mean and vicious. So I let her go and told her that she would be caught when she grows up. She quickly ran away.
Then night came and I heard a howling at the window of the garage. ( The garage is where I had my cages when I had multiple kittens to socialize)
It was my baby black Dot wanting in. I let her back in to roam as she pleased and left the window open.
It took about two months for her to rub up against my legs. But she still wouldn't let me touch her. Maybe two weeks later, she finally let me pet her. She grew to be the most affectionate cat I've ever had. She reaches out her paw to touch my face when I'm reading or working on the computer, almost to say...."excuse me....excuse me....but I need....." Such a delightful creature. She has a little white dot on her belly, hence the name Dot. My older feral cat is 17, almost blind and has never liked Dot. I don't know why.....maybe she has some jealousy issues. When they are laying next to me, Dot will stretch out and extend her arms towards the older "baby Girl" just close enough not to touch her. Baby Girl will then hiss, spit and cry, almost like two human children "She's touching me!!!!She's touching me!".
Today, Baby Girl knows something is not right with Dot and is now very gentle and caring. Although if Dot wants to play, Baby Girl will still have none of it. I think it is because she is mostly blind and arthritic and is not so sure of herself anymore.
About the disease. For a few weeks, Dot will be behaving like her old self....stalking birds on the roof, catching a house mouse (which she brings me live and I must then catch and put outside....I know, I know....I'm a little crazy) and breathing normally. Then one day she will be in distress struggling to breathe. I give her oxygen. Her breathing becomes a little better. I tell her good-bye when I leave for work, give a big hug and kiss and say I hope to see you when I come home.
She gradually gets better and is her old self again. Then we go through this all over again. And again. It's a heartbreaking disease. Sometimes I wonder if it is better for those who lost their precious kitty to this disease, to lose them suddenly. I don't know....I don't think I can take it either way. I love my baby black Dot, but I die a little bit each time I watch her struggle to breathe. Then rejoice when she runs around the house like a kitten again!
Anybody out there who has experience with this disease? I know the prognosis is not good, but would like to know of others experience. Thanks!
Kind regards
I came home from work one very hot evening and found her laying on the floor stretched out, so I lay down with her and express to her....'oh it is just too hot for you isn't it! It's too hot for me! She got up to eat, as that is what my two aging feral cats do when I get home. I watched her. Her breathing seemed a little too rapid. I watched her jump out the window and sit on the roof. I decided that I should take her in. Of course it was evening and had to go to emergency. There it was determined that she had plural infusion related to cardiomyopathy. I asked what I was to expect with this disease. Would she be in pain? would she suffer? I was told that her heart would just stop. I could live with that so I agreed to estimate we began treatment to remove fluid and place her in oxygen cage.
She is on the medication that a human would take with heart disease. Lasix, Plavix, enalipril, potassium and one 'off label' medicine 'vetmedin'.
She is doing remarkable well. However; after spending a bazillion dollars at emergency, I decided to purchased my own oxygen cage should Dot need to have that treatment again, as most of the cost of the emergency care was providing the oxygen therapy for an extended period until her breathing returned to a normal rate. So far, I she has been in the oxygen cage 4 times for about 2 hours, since her 2 day stay in the hospital in October. My Dot now has a cardiologist whom she visits every other month. I never thought I would ever say that! Sounds like it should be a bumper sticker "my cat has a cardiologist"!
I just wanted to say that this is a horrible disease.
Dot came to me 13 years ago when my friend was trapping, altering and releasing the feral cats in our neighborhood. When she trapped the babies, she gave them to me to socialize and find homes for. Dot was one of the 'older' babies and she did not want to be domesticated. She was mean and vicious. So I let her go and told her that she would be caught when she grows up. She quickly ran away.
Then night came and I heard a howling at the window of the garage. ( The garage is where I had my cages when I had multiple kittens to socialize)
It was my baby black Dot wanting in. I let her back in to roam as she pleased and left the window open.
It took about two months for her to rub up against my legs. But she still wouldn't let me touch her. Maybe two weeks later, she finally let me pet her. She grew to be the most affectionate cat I've ever had. She reaches out her paw to touch my face when I'm reading or working on the computer, almost to say...."excuse me....excuse me....but I need....." Such a delightful creature. She has a little white dot on her belly, hence the name Dot. My older feral cat is 17, almost blind and has never liked Dot. I don't know why.....maybe she has some jealousy issues. When they are laying next to me, Dot will stretch out and extend her arms towards the older "baby Girl" just close enough not to touch her. Baby Girl will then hiss, spit and cry, almost like two human children "She's touching me!!!!She's touching me!".
Today, Baby Girl knows something is not right with Dot and is now very gentle and caring. Although if Dot wants to play, Baby Girl will still have none of it. I think it is because she is mostly blind and arthritic and is not so sure of herself anymore.
About the disease. For a few weeks, Dot will be behaving like her old self....stalking birds on the roof, catching a house mouse (which she brings me live and I must then catch and put outside....I know, I know....I'm a little crazy) and breathing normally. Then one day she will be in distress struggling to breathe. I give her oxygen. Her breathing becomes a little better. I tell her good-bye when I leave for work, give a big hug and kiss and say I hope to see you when I come home.
She gradually gets better and is her old self again. Then we go through this all over again. And again. It's a heartbreaking disease. Sometimes I wonder if it is better for those who lost their precious kitty to this disease, to lose them suddenly. I don't know....I don't think I can take it either way. I love my baby black Dot, but I die a little bit each time I watch her struggle to breathe. Then rejoice when she runs around the house like a kitten again!
Anybody out there who has experience with this disease? I know the prognosis is not good, but would like to know of others experience. Thanks!
Kind regards