My 7 year old Persian collapsed while playing, he is fine now but I'd like to hear some opinions

[Joe_Danger1337]

I only post on cat forums when there are problems with my cats
2022 was a fantastic year for all 4, the three Persians and the stray we found in 2021 who was hands down the most difficult kitten I've ever raised bar none. My white Persian, Casper, took her under his wing tho and she has been like a daughter to him.
Casper has always been prone to getting short of breath so I try not to get him too excited and make sure he doesn't run around too much. One thing he goes crazy over is packing peanuts, I always worry he might go overboard with them but today I figured I'd let him play with one for a bit....big mistake
he collapsed, started yowling, went all limp, fell to the floor and was for all intents and purposes dead for a few seconds there. We called my vet an breeder immediately, thinking it was a heart attack and by then he was already back to normal. I threw away the packing peanut and any other small toy I could find....tho Spaska needs those...

Anyway the vet said his dad and grandpa are the same, there's some sort of chest deformity going down their line in the males causing slight problems with airflow but it's not dangerous, all males from his line have enjoyed very old age so far even tho this happens from time to time.
She did tell us about this years ago as well, still she said to bring him in on Monday fort a thorough checkup. The same thing happened to his dad a while back and he is fine.

My vet insisted not to bring him in now as to not stress him out, she made sure we check his gums and tongue and they were normal, his eyes are normal too not dilated or anything, they react to light like they should. She forbade him from running around and playing....which is exactly what he did mere minutes after the incident because he found something else to tumble around with.

I need your experiences/thoughts on this guys
Something similar happened to his mom in 2021 when she was being harassed by the kitten we took in but she never screamed in pain.

Could this have been a heart attack?
No vets are open until Monday because it's Christmas in my country and my vet is also my breeder and she adores these cats and knows them well, she insisted we don't stress him with vet visits now, heck in the past they'd come over free of charge to vaccinate him as to not stress him.

Should I worry?
Should I expect to lose my beloved Casper at some point in the near future?

I don't think any of the other 3 cats would handle a loss in the family well either.


I can't imagine life without him

 

[neely]

I have a Persian too and love the breed. Since you mentioned your vet is also his breeder and you trust her I would recommend following her instructions to wait until Monday when the office is open. You also said she doesn't want to stress him out so she obviously knows Casper well and is looking out for his best interest. I'm sure you will be monitoring his condition and notice if there are any changes. Regarding a possible heart attack, we are not vets nor can we offer medical advice. But I completely understand your worry and concern about Casper. Sending special thoughts and healing vibes that he is okay. Please keep us updated on his progress.

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

Thanks! I know people here can't tell what's wrong with him or if it was a heart attack, I was just hoping someone would share similar experiences and hopefully things worked out for them in the end.
He is perfectly fine for now, from eating to playing(which i try to prevent) everything is normal fortunately.
I'm sorry I'm such a bother, I do trust my vet and I'm lucky that she is so devoted to her clients and her kittens I'm just easily stressed when it comes to my cats, they mean the world to me, I'm sure most can relate to that here.

 

[neely]

I'm sorry I'm such a bother, I do trust my vet and I'm lucky that she is so devoted to her clients and her kittens I'm just easily stressed when it comes to my cats, they mean the world to me, I'm sure most can relate to that here.

You're not a bother at all. You're a devoted cat parent and we completely understand what you're going through. Although not the same situation I've been in your shoes and worried sick about my Persian too. We'll be anxious to hear what the vet says about Casper next week.

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

Thank you so much
he seems perfectly fine for now, eager to play too which I keep discouraging. But man the shock of it happening, me and my family still can't recover from it tbh it was as if we experienced Casper dying and nothing is real still, it was terrifying.
Usually when our pets go they go after some kind of illness or die of old age, but to experience something like this on a wonderful, happy, relaxed day for everybody, cats and people and for it to genuinely look and feel as if he was gone...I have no words. I still can't believe he is ok and I'm on the edge that it might happen again.

The older I get the more stressful pet illnesses and loss of pets get, some people get used to it but we find it more and more difficult to cope with these things emotionally. I was never good at taking these things well but now, at 39...oh boy lol

 

[iPappy]

I have unfortunately experienced similar things with a few of mine, but it was syncope (fainting). One of mine just began screaming and went completely limp (he had a heart problem, though). If it's a structural issue for Casper, keeping him quieter hopefully will help prevent this from happening again. If something is wrong with his heart, the vet can treat that. Cardiac care for pets has come so, so far in the past 20 years or so!
Does he like treats? Maybe he would enjoy some kind of a treat puzzle toy, so he has something to play with that won't require him to run.
BTW, I'm 39 as well. I have said that the aging, illnesses, losses, etc., have turned me 85 overnight in some circumstances!

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

Well my vet said that there is no treatment for heart issues in cats just suplements, but you have to keep in mind we live in Macedonia not exactly the first world, the screaming part is what suggests a heart problem to me and it terrifies me. The vet said if it's a heart issue the best vets in our country can do is provide some supplements but that there are no meds/pills to treat heart disease in cats here.

 

[iPappy]

Well my vet said that there is no treatment for heart issues in cats just suplements, but you have to keep in mind we live in Macedonia not exactly the first world, the screaming part is what suggests a heart problem to me and it terrifies me. The vet said if it's a heart issue the best vets in our country can do is provide some supplements but that there are no meds/pills to treat heart disease in cats here.

Did they mention what supplements they use? Just curious because I'm in the US and I have used some cardiac supplements and saw some pretty amazing results from them.
The fact that there's a known genetic link going on that isn't heart related would make me feel optimistic. If his Dad and other male relatives have had this deformity and lived into old age, I would optimistically assume that's what is going on unless they can tell you otherwise.
If he fainted due to low oxygen, the scream might have been simple fear or just not understanding what he was experiencing.
The one I had that had known heart problems screamed several times before fainting. It makes me tear up just thinking about it.

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

Don't talk/think about it please, I understand how you feel
sorry I pushed for the issue further.
don't read this topic anymore if it disturbs you I know I stay away from pet forums like the plague unless somehting happens to me because they're far too stressful for me to read

With Casper he screamed while lying down but his vision was clear, his eyes weren't glossy
then he fainted or seemed like he fainted and after a few seconds he was back to normal, he wasn't wobbly or disoriented or anything. He just kinda sat in the breadloaf position for a bit after coming to, was very alert then got up and went to eat.

 

[iPappy]

Don't talk/think about it please, I understand how you feel
sorry I pushed for the issue further.
don't read this topic anymore if it disturbs you I know I stay away from pet forums like the plague unless somehting happens to me because they're far too stressful for me to read

With Casper he screamed while lying down but his vision was clear, his eyes weren't glossy
then he fainted or seemed like he fainted and after a few seconds he was back to normal, he wasn't wobbly or disoriented or anything. He just kinda sat in the breadloaf position for a bit after coming to, was very alert then got up and went to eat.

You didn't push any issue at all! I've loved and lost a lot of pets, and I think about their lives (and losses) often on my own. I like sharing our experiences, because I hope they help someone, not to mention helping others know that when they're stressed by theirs that are sick, there are others who know exactly how they feel.
When mine fainted, he was out for several minutes, and coming around was a very slow process. His limbs were cool to the touch at first. This happened around 7 AM and it was almost noon before he got up on his own and acted (almost) normal. Since Casper wasn't disoriented and went over to eat, I would keep him quiet and see what the week brings.

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

Thank you so much for having the courage to describe that, so sorry your cat had to experience this
I've loved animals my whole life but I don't think after this bunch of cats I'll be keeping any more pets, I'm psychologically unfit for dealing with pet illness and loss if I was on my own I'd be completely incapable of handling this.
I'm just grateful my family understands, my grandparents on both sides were the same hence why they wouldn't keep any pets unless I insisted they did as a kid For me, personally I take family human or pet illness and loss very poorly.
Mentally I feel every bit as happy, fit and well as when I was 9 at 39, I don't feel my age, god knows I love my art, I love my gaming and life in general is alright even tho I've sene my share of tragedies over the past few years....but pet loss man that's more than I can handle mentally.

I'm sorry I just need to express this somewhere
other than my family people IRL dont understand this about me, even people who own pets don't quite get as attached as we do....or so they say I get too attached apparently jesus f....

 

[Meowmee]

Well my vet said that there is no treatment for heart issues in cats just suplements, but you have to keep in mind we live in Macedonia not exactly the first world, the screaming part is what suggests a heart problem to me and it terrifies me. The vet said if it's a heart issue the best vets in our country can do is provide some supplements but that there are no meds/pills to treat heart disease in cats here.

I am so sorry about Caspar. It could be a heart problem but there’s no way to tell for sure until he gets some testing done one of which should be an echocardiogram because he is Persian he’s at risk for HCM.
Your dvm is wrong. There are treatments for hcm, medications and anticoagulants now. The sooner you catch it the better. HCM can only be diagnosed with an echocardiogram and should be done by Dvm who specializes in cardiology or internal medicine.

For now I would just try to keep him calm and keep an eye on him if something else like that happens if you have an emergency vet near you I would go to them. It could be something neurological also since he passed out. Usually if it’s a heart problem such as congestive heart failure the cat is going to show signs of rapid breathing and weakness before they completely collapse like that. my other thought was he could be having a blood clot and it somehow passed on its own.

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

If there's no treatment here like she said, then it doesn't really matter if there is treatment and meds in the first wortld.
she said there are meds for dogs but not for cats.
I mean people with less common diseases and illnesses can't get the medicine they need here let alone cats, there were protests about this last month or so.
We're not a backwards country just a disorganized, criminal state and a mess overall.
Hope it's not anything related to his heart because knowing there is treatment out there that he can't receive would be devastating, the vet said there are supplements to slow the disease down but that's the best that can be done here.

 

[Meowmee]

If there's no treatment here like she said, then it doesn't really matter if there is treatment and meds in the first wortld.
she said there are meds for dogs but not for cats.
I mean people with less common diseases and illnesses can't get the medicine they need here let alone cats, there were protests about this last month or so.
We're not a backwards country just a disorganized, criminal state and a mess overall.
Hope it's not anything related to his heart because knowing there is treatment out there that he can't receive would be devastating, the vet said there are supplements to slow the disease down but that's the best that can be done here.

If your dvm rx it maybe you can order the meds from another country whatever it is. I hope so. Keep us posted.

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

The problem with ordering meds is from abroad is that importers are often inconsistent here.
This happens with pretty much anything in my country, cat food comes and goes, litter brands come and go
I was using this awesome quick paw litter for over 2 years, the cats loved it, you could dispose of it in the toilet which was great and the importer suddenly stopped importing it to Macedonia because it just wasn't selling here.
I contacted the importer and he managed to import a bunch for me specifically twice but that was it, after that it was over and the guy won't import anymore no matter how many bags I want to buy.

Let's say you have cats that are picky eaters, they get used to a certain type of food and all of a sudden that food stops being imported in the country, it's a real problem.
Mine generally eat Royal Canin Persian, thankfully there is usually a steady supply of that here but there have been times where the food was unavailable for a month or two straight which is a problem for one of my cat's, Casper's sister, Kala who is very finicky when it comes to food.
Some brand she likes appear sometimes, then they're just gone for a long time or gone forever and so on.

It's even worse with meds, nothing is consistent here which is a problem.

 

[iPappy]

The problem with ordering meds is from abroad is that importers are often inconsistent here.
This happens with pretty much anything in my country, cat food comes and goes, litter brands come and go
I was using this awesome quick paw litter for over 2 years, the cats loved it, you could dispose of it in the toilet which was great and the importer suddenly stopped importing it to Macedonia because it just wasn't selling here.
I contacted the importer and he managed to import a bunch for me specifically twice but that was it, after that it was over and the guy won't import anymore no matter how many bags I want to buy.

Let's say you have cats that are picky eaters, they get used to a certain type of food and all of a sudden that food stops being imported in the country, it's a real problem.
Mine generally eat Royal Canin Persian, thankfully there is usually a steady supply of that here but there have been times where the food was unavailable for a month or two straight which is a problem for one of my cat's, Casper's sister, Kala who is very finicky when it comes to food.
Some brand she likes appear sometimes, then they're just gone for a long time or gone forever and so on.

It's even worse with meds, nothing is consistent here which is a problem.

There was a shortage a few years ago on a heart medication, and people were asking "what's going to happen" and the response was "a lot of dogs and cats are going to die." It was a scary, scary, scary situation but luckily didn't last long. Lack of consistency and shortages don't sound nearly as bad here as they do there, but when they happen, it's a huge problem.
I still think for now it'd be best to wait and see how things go before jumping to the conclusion that he has a heart problem and isn't going to be around long. I am very good at diving into the worst case scenario and stressing myself out to the limit, and 99% of the time it turns out there was nothing to be stressed about.

 

[Joe_Danger1337]

I'm an absolute expert at sparling down the anxiety and intrusive thoughts rabbithole too One thing leads to another and before you know it you've lost touch with reality and anxiety albeit for a good reason has taken over.
So far, today Casper has been fine, we have this tradition to give out candy to kids similar to trick or treating in the morning of the day before Christmas and before the pandemic Casper was the main attraction in our house, kids would pet him, he is a social big cat, so this morning as soon as he heard kids in the hall singing these weird/funny Christmas rhymes I wouldn't call them cartols he ran up to the door for a meet and greet with random kids like he used to pre pandemic, but we are still wary so we didn't give out candy in person today.

He has been perfectly normal today overall, ate, drank water, even had a bit of a play session with Spaska, his adoptive daughter, you wouldn't know that anything happened yesterday looking at him.
Still I can't put my mind at ease so we'll see how things progress.

Just sharing a pic of everyone having a wonderful Easter 2022 together
I hope we can have many more days together, I love these cats so much

 

[posiepurrs]

I offer my sympathy for your worry but have no practical advice for you. As a former Persian breeder however, I do question the ethics of a vet who would knowingly breed cats with a deformity. No offense to you is meant.

 

[Meowmee]

The problem with ordering meds is from abroad is that importers are often inconsistent here.
This happens with pretty much anything in my country, cat food comes and goes, litter brands come and go
I was using this awesome quick paw litter for over 2 years, the cats loved it, you could dispose of it in the toilet which was great and the importer suddenly stopped importing it to Macedonia because it just wasn't selling here.
I contacted the importer and he managed to import a bunch for me specifically twice but that was it, after that it was over and the guy won't import anymore no matter how many bags I want to buy.

Let's say you have cats that are picky eaters, they get used to a certain type of food and all of a sudden that food stops being imported in the country, it's a real problem.
Mine generally eat Royal Canin Persian, thankfully there is usually a steady supply of that here but there have been times where the food was unavailable for a month or two straight which is a problem for one of my cat's, Casper's sister, Kala who is very finicky when it comes to food.
Some brand she likes appear sometimes, then they're just gone for a long time or gone forever and so on.

It's even worse with meds, nothing is consistent here which is a problem.

Meds may be different. You can order them for a year supply usually and then at least you don’t have to worry about it.
I used to order one of my cat’s blood pressure medication in bulk from India because it was cheaper.
It was a larger dose but I split it up into gel caps.

I usually end up doing that with meds that I get here too. We don’t have it very well here either really because everything costs a fortune and there’s almost no coverage for medication for cats, not very good coverage for a lot of medication‘s for people even, and you have to fight for everything. Even with insurance it still costs a fortune.

 

[Meowmee]

I'm an absolute expert at sparling down the anxiety and intrusive thoughts rabbithole too One thing leads to another and before you know it you've lost touch with reality and anxiety albeit for a good reason has taken over.
So far, today Casper has been fine, we have this tradition to give out candy to kids similar to trick or treating in the morning of the day before Christmas and before the pandemic Casper was the main attraction in our house, kids would pet him, he is a social big cat, so this morning as soon as he heard kids in the hall singing these weird/funny Christmas rhymes I wouldn't call them cartols he ran up to the door for a meet and greet with random kids like he used to pre pandemic, but we are still wary so we didn't give out candy in person today.

He has been perfectly normal today overall, ate, drank water, even had a bit of a play session with Spaska, his adoptive daughter, you wouldn't know that anything happened yesterday looking at him.
Still I can't put my mind at ease so we'll see how things progress.

Just sharing a pic of everyone having a wonderful Easter 2022 together
I hope we can have many more days together, I love these cats so much

They are beautiful, you are lucky to have them