Sudden death due to heart problem

[J.L.L.P.'s Momma]

My heart is shattered. I lost my three year old Lillian suddenly on Thursday and I have no idea how to process this. It all happened so fast. Last Monday evening she was fine- playing, eating, normal. Tuesday morning she didn't want breakfast and when I got home from work she seemed lethargic and still not interested in eating. I took her to the vet that afternoon yet and her exam was good, chest x-rays normal, and bloodwork normal. Wednesday was the same- she seemed comfortable, but still lethargic so we started her on an appetite stimulant. On Thursday morning there was still no change so I took her to the emergency vet as her normal vet couldn't do many more diagnostics. A blood test showed abnormalities with her heart and she was put on oxygen to help ease her breathing since she started panting after we got there. They did another xray and noted changes from the one 2 days prior - her heart looked bigger or thicker but couldn't tell for sure what exactly it was. They don't have a cardiologist there so set us up to transfer a different vet about 45 minutes away where she would stay overnight and see a cardiologist the next day. She was stable to be transferred. I was holding her for some of it and then she wanted to lay on the floor. We were about 5 minutes away from the vet, and with my mom driving, I noticed that Lily was becoming unresponsive. I crawled back to grab her and she was limp. It was terrifying. I couldn't get her to stay awake. We made it to the vet and I ran her inside where they immediately took her back to start CPR. They intubated her and ran three courses of meds to try to jumpstart her but we couldn't get her back. I'm shocked and crushed and scared. Apparently heart disease is the silent killer in cats and they often show no signs and can suddenly die. All I can think about was I pushed her over the edge by taking her. I know she couldn't keep going like she was but I'm second guessing everything. I know I did everything I could, acted fast, and followed the right steps, but I can't wrap my mind around the fact that she's really gone, so fast. And I'm so scared for the health of her mom, brother, and sister. They'll be having the same blood test (NT ProBNP) next week to see if their hearts have any damage.

I raised Lily and her siblings since birth after I trapped their feral momma 10 days before she gave birth. I'm currently going through a messy divorce after leaving an emotionally, verbally, and mentally abusive marriage. These cats are everything to me and are my children. They have kept me going and given me a purpose. I am devastated and still can't believe she's gone. I'm so afraid that her little family is also sick and I'll lose them too.

I'm reading that heart disease is known as the silent killer. I had no idea. She was playful, happy, active... it came out of nowhere. They've always had all vet care needed and have been on the best wet foods since kittens. They're never outside. Does anyone have any experience with this? Did I miss something?

 

[downton ali]

I have no experience with this, however I'm so sorry for your loss. She looks like she was such a sweet kitty.

I hope others chime in who have experience with heart disease in their cats.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am so sorry for what happened to Lily, but it was going to happen no matter what you did. I know that is no consolation, but you need to know it is the truth at least.

Heart disease is a silent killer in humans as well, but just because one human family member has it does not mean all others in the family will have the same thing - and that is true for Lily's family as well. You are doing the right thing to have them all tested to see if there are any abnormalities like Lily's.

I don't think you missed anything. I don't know how you could have done anything differently than what you did for Lily - and what you are now doing for her siblings and mom. No one thinks, or should be expected, to check for things like this until something happens. There was no history to go on. But you now have the history, and you are doing what you need to do for Lily's (and your) family. Lily enabled you to do that.

 

[Kat Luv]

100% what FeebysOwner said above. For my cats, I always make sure to ask the vet to listen for a heart murmur or other abnormalities at their annual or semi-annual visits. This is because I lost one (one of my 2 best kitties ever) to a saddle thrombus (usually due to a chronic murmur). You can the vet if she thinks your other kiddos need an ekg too (like the ones humans get).

So very sorry for your loss.

 

[fionasmom]

I am so sorry for your loss. I also lost two cats to this, one a young male and the other an older diabetic female. In the case of the younger one, there were no symptoms with the exception of a vet tech who said that he heard a slight murmur, but was dismissed as insignificant by the vet. The second cat had no symptoms of any heart condition but passed away after coming home from the vet where she had a fructosamine test.

While I realize that this is no consolation, you were able to do as much for Lillian as was possible, both from your perspective and that of the care that you were able to secure for her. You did not miss anything at all. As was stated, Lily's family may not have any heart conditions at all and, if they do, many can be managed. I have had a boy with HCM for 7 years, caught by accident when nothing added up with another problem.

 

[J.L.L.P.'s Momma]

I have no experience with this, however I'm so sorry for your loss. She looks like she was such a sweet kitty.

I hope others chime in who have experience with heart disease in their cats.

Thank you so much. She was an absolute ray of sunshine. It still doesn't feel real.

 

[J.L.L.P.'s Momma]

I am so sorry for what happened to Lily, but it was going to happen no matter what you did. I know that is no consolation, but you need to know it is the truth at least.

Heart disease is a silent killer in humans as well, but just because one human family member has it does not mean all others in the family will have the same thing - and that is true for Lily's family as well. You are doing the right thing to have them all tested to see if there are any abnormalities like Lily's.

I don't think you missed anything. I don't know how you could have done anything differently than what you did for Lily - and what you are now doing for her siblings and mom. No one thinks, or should be expected, to check for things like this until something happens. There was no history to go on. But you now have the history, and you are doing what you need to do for Lily's (and your) family. Lily enabled you to do that.

Thank you. It still doesn't feel real. People tell me it would have happened regardless - but it's still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that there were no symptoms and no time to act on the slight signs of something being wrong (lack of appetite 2 days before). There was just no warning, it all happened so fast. I'm praying that her little family is healthy. I don't know what I'd do if I lost them too. They're going on May 31st for their tests. Lily is a true angel in every sense and I can't help but feel like she's going to continue to protect her family. I truly appreciate your reassurance. It's helpful to talk to people who understand.

 

[J.L.L.P.'s Momma]

100% what FeebysOwner said above. For my cats, I always make sure to ask the vet to listen for a heart murmur or other abnormalities at their annual or semi-annual visits. This is because I lost one (one of my 2 best kitties ever) to a saddle thrombus (usually due to a chronic murmur). You can the vet if she thinks your other kiddos need an ekg too (like the ones humans get).

So very sorry for your loss.

I feel like I remember that they did listen to their hearts at their annual visits last year but I will absolutely specifically ask about it this year. They didn't even hear anything that Tuesday when I took her in 2 days before she passed. They're having the NT-ProBNP test on May 31st so depending on their results I will definitely be asking about EKGS too.

 

[J.L.L.P.'s Momma]

I am so sorry for your loss. I also lost two cats to this, one a young male and the other an older diabetic female. In the case of the younger one, there were no symptoms with the exception of a vet tech who said that he heard a slight murmur, but was dismissed as insignificant by the vet. The second cat had no symptoms of any heart condition but passed away after coming home from the vet where she had a fructosamine test.

While I realize that this is no consolation, you were able to do as much for Lillian as was possible, both from your perspective and that of the care that you were able to secure for her. You did not miss anything at all. As was stated, Lily's family may not have any heart conditions at all and, if they do, many can be managed. I have had a boy with HCM for 7 years, caught by accident when nothing added up with another problem.

Thank you so much for your kind words and reassurance. I had no idea that it's as common as it is. I volunteer for a rescue and three different volunteers have reached out to me that they've had the same experience. It's unfathomable. I also appreciate you offering me hope that conditions can be managed for years. I was debating if doing the NT-Pro BNP test would be beneficial or not as I understand that it can change rapidly but I feel like having a baseline to refer to will give me peace of mind. These kitties mean everything to me so I have to do what I can to ensure they stay with me for as long as possible.