My 13 year old grey and white short hair male cat was just diagnosed today with Chylothorax. We're still waiting for some tests to come back, however the initial thoughts from the team that treated him last night and today are that we're not gonna get any definitive answers as to why this occurred. For the last couple of days leading up to yesterday, he exhibited some behavioral changes which included hiding in the basement, and a general lethargic appearance. He did not sleep in bed with me the night before last, which is highly uncharacteristic of him. Yesterday morning, he remained in the basement and would not come upstairs. I contacted our vet (who does house calls), and she arrived around 5:30 yesterday evening. By that time Dick's breathing had become extremely labored. She instructed me to immediately take him to an emergency care facility, which I immediately did. During the 45 minute drive, Dick was panting and crying with his mouth open. He was immediately admitted upon arrival, and had a sufficient amount of Chyle removed via needle from his chest cavity. I was told that he almost didn't make it. He was admitted overnight, multiple tests on his organ function was performed, and blood tests, etc, were sent out to labs for analysis. The results of those tests are expected next week. A followup visit is scheduled 10 days from now, at which point a heart specialist is going to do some sort of examination to rule out heart problems, however the initial observation was that his heart was also OK. I'm well aware (now, after all the reading I've done in the past 24 hours) that the prognosis for something like this is guarded at best, and that the worst possible scenario for Chylothorax would be if it is idiopathic in nature.....Which is what they think it is. From everything I've read, it doesn't look good in the long run, and I've resigned myself to the fact that although I may be able to manage Dick's condition, the likelihood of recurrence is high.
Dick was kept in hospital overnight, and upon discharge he seemed agitated, distant, and not himself at all. He had that "F-you" look on his face. This is the same look and body language that he exhibited when my old band held practices in my basement a few years ago and he hid under the couch because of the noise. He cried very little on the way home, spare for 6 or 7 subtle meows. Upon his arrival at the house, he tried to go back down into the basement. We instead carried him upstairs to the bedroom where he remained for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. He slept a little, responded somewhat to petting (purring, etc), however he'd go in and out of that catatonic, irritated look. He really didn't try to hide that much when he was upstairs, and the movements he did make (walking around a little, jumping on and off the bed, etc) seemed much more effortless than they were yesterday when the initial condition presented itself. Nevertheless, he's just "not himself". Later in the evening, we moved him into the guest bedroom, brought his litter box and food (new food, we are following ALL Rx recommendations to the tee), etc. He hid under a dresser, and last I checked (30 minutes ago), he seemed content and purring when lightly petted on head....Though he is still in "hiding". He did eat and drink earlier, however since I picked him up at the vet (3pm) he has not used the litter box. I have been monitoring his breathing obsessively.....The instructions say to check it 2 times daily, I've checked it at least 10 thus far today. His breathing does not seem labored and his breathing rate is around 20-30 breaths per minute, which is in the normal range as per what I've read. It's been well over 24 hours since his chest was tapped, so that's a good sign. Also worth mentioning is the fact that for at least 6 months leading up to all of this, Dick had been exhibiting some subtle signs of respiratory abnormalities which I foolishly chucked off as allergies. These included LOUD snoring, sniffling, and sneezing. NONE of these symptoms have been present since the emergency episode yesterday, which leads me to believe that the buildup of Chyle in his chest cavity occurred over a long duration of time.
My question involves his behavioral disposition today. I know he's been through pure hell, and this may seem like a stupid question but is it possible that he is traumatized from the experience? It troubles me because these are the same general symptoms he displayed before he went into the hospital last night, minus the breathing issues.
My apologies for sounding overly clinical in all of this. I'm just trying to become as informed as possible. Dick and I have an emotional bond that is incredibly strong, and I love him with all of my heart. I've been doing everything I can to not get emotional through all of this because that will inhibit my ability to help him. He's been with me since 2002, and in that time I've gone through a lot....I went through some tough times (a divorce, several moves, one of which was cross-country, etc), and Dick was by my side the whole time. There were times when he was really all I had. You can love another human being unconditionally, only to have them hurt you in underhanded, self-serving ways for all sorts of different reasons. A cat is different though. When you love them and care for them unconditionally, that's exactly what they give you in return. I love him so much, and I will do everything in my power to heal and comfort him, whatever the cost. I'm around $2500 into this whole ordeal at the moment, which is completely and utterly irrelevant to me if it means his survival and comfort. He brought me both, especially in the last seven years or so, and I vow to do the same for him.
Dick was kept in hospital overnight, and upon discharge he seemed agitated, distant, and not himself at all. He had that "F-you" look on his face. This is the same look and body language that he exhibited when my old band held practices in my basement a few years ago and he hid under the couch because of the noise. He cried very little on the way home, spare for 6 or 7 subtle meows. Upon his arrival at the house, he tried to go back down into the basement. We instead carried him upstairs to the bedroom where he remained for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. He slept a little, responded somewhat to petting (purring, etc), however he'd go in and out of that catatonic, irritated look. He really didn't try to hide that much when he was upstairs, and the movements he did make (walking around a little, jumping on and off the bed, etc) seemed much more effortless than they were yesterday when the initial condition presented itself. Nevertheless, he's just "not himself". Later in the evening, we moved him into the guest bedroom, brought his litter box and food (new food, we are following ALL Rx recommendations to the tee), etc. He hid under a dresser, and last I checked (30 minutes ago), he seemed content and purring when lightly petted on head....Though he is still in "hiding". He did eat and drink earlier, however since I picked him up at the vet (3pm) he has not used the litter box. I have been monitoring his breathing obsessively.....The instructions say to check it 2 times daily, I've checked it at least 10 thus far today. His breathing does not seem labored and his breathing rate is around 20-30 breaths per minute, which is in the normal range as per what I've read. It's been well over 24 hours since his chest was tapped, so that's a good sign. Also worth mentioning is the fact that for at least 6 months leading up to all of this, Dick had been exhibiting some subtle signs of respiratory abnormalities which I foolishly chucked off as allergies. These included LOUD snoring, sniffling, and sneezing. NONE of these symptoms have been present since the emergency episode yesterday, which leads me to believe that the buildup of Chyle in his chest cavity occurred over a long duration of time.
My question involves his behavioral disposition today. I know he's been through pure hell, and this may seem like a stupid question but is it possible that he is traumatized from the experience? It troubles me because these are the same general symptoms he displayed before he went into the hospital last night, minus the breathing issues.
My apologies for sounding overly clinical in all of this. I'm just trying to become as informed as possible. Dick and I have an emotional bond that is incredibly strong, and I love him with all of my heart. I've been doing everything I can to not get emotional through all of this because that will inhibit my ability to help him. He's been with me since 2002, and in that time I've gone through a lot....I went through some tough times (a divorce, several moves, one of which was cross-country, etc), and Dick was by my side the whole time. There were times when he was really all I had. You can love another human being unconditionally, only to have them hurt you in underhanded, self-serving ways for all sorts of different reasons. A cat is different though. When you love them and care for them unconditionally, that's exactly what they give you in return. I love him so much, and I will do everything in my power to heal and comfort him, whatever the cost. I'm around $2500 into this whole ordeal at the moment, which is completely and utterly irrelevant to me if it means his survival and comfort. He brought me both, especially in the last seven years or so, and I vow to do the same for him.
