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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / December 2003Cardiomyopathy
Anybody have any cats with cardiomyopathy and how does one cope? Management of the disease, etc. I got a call the other day from Peepers Vet. Gabrielle Herman (the usual vet) had gone over the examination at his annual examination this year and noticed that a heart murmur that has been present in the past was getting louder ( 2 to 3 on a scale of 6). She wants him in in four months to do an ultrasound to see what needs to be done, if anything, as she suspects a cardiomyopathy. Just her saying that, sent me into a day of grieving for a seeming healthy playful cat, well except that he doesn't seem to be able to pass up an annual excursion to the vet emergency for a hairball blockage or something similar. Anyway I need to know how to cope at the various degrees that may be necessary, so I would appreciate some comment. Also some further information about exactly what ranges of problems this can cause. The only thing I've done so far is to check a vet site for some very general information (not to helpful) about what this is. Larry Osborne > Anybody have any cats with cardiomyopathy and how does one cope? Management > of the disease, etc. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Larry Osborne Larry!! I've no advice but wanted to know that we're purring for Peepers. Karen >From: "Larry Osborne" larrybo@idirect.com >Anyway I need to know how to cope at the various degrees that may be >necessary, so I would appreciate some comment. Also some further >information about exactly what ranges of problems this can cause. The only >thing I've done so far is to check a vet site for some very general >information (not to helpful) about what this is. Try this. Lots of information: http://tinyurl.com/vxmh Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm > Anybody have any cats with cardiomyopathy and how does one cope? Management > of the disease, etc. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Larry Osborne Take a deep breath, Larry, it's not necessarily an immediate death sentence. I have a cat with HCM. He's had it for 4.25 years now, and is doing absolutely fine, touch wood. He just needs daily meds (one tablet), and annual heart ultrasounds. Don't wait for the ultrasound, get it done ASAP, preferably by a feline cardiologist, because if Peepers needs meds, then the sooner you start them, the better for the heart. Some basic info (and a picture of my HCM cat): http://www.felinecrf.org/related_diseases.htm#HCM1 HTH Helen > > Anybody have any cats with cardiomyopathy and how does one cope? > Management [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Helen Thanks. It is beginning to feel like there may be more grounds for hope than I originally thought. I've got to go the vet to pick up some CET Chews tomorrow so if his primary Vet is not in I will leave a message for her to contact me. Trouble is I can only go on weekends until late April or early May because of work demands and I don't know when the ultrasound is used. Larry Osborne > > > Anybody have any cats with cardiomyopathy and how does one cope? > > Management [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > Larry Osborne might still be possible, my cat's cardiologist insists my cat arrives first thing, and then they do various tests at their leisure once they think he is relaxed; so you might find you also don't need to have a specific appointment time, and can just drop him off first thing and collect him on your way home. HTH Helen > > > > Anybody have any cats with cardiomyopathy and how does one cope? > > > Management [quoted text clipped - 68 lines] > > Helen I won't know until I can speak with Gabrielle about required timing. However it works out I know Smudge will try to make this fake replacement of Peepers miserable for a few days afterward.. Larry Osborne Hi Larry and Peepers! Just thought you both would like to know that YahooGroups have a discussion forum called "Feline Heart" ... there's a lot of us sad people on there doing our best to help our kitties and sharing info, so it might be a good group to join. Licks and purrs from my sick babies to your Peeper :-) Catherine I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any of those days at the vet clinic. I want to see just how bad it is. I look at Peepers and it is hard to imagine a cat that is less likely to have a heart problem. He is extremely alert and active, running and playing about, eating with a good appetite ( probably better than this grazer ever has in the past as he was for the first time in his life ever so slightly above his ideal weight. Just enough to consider a diet regime that might work to bring Smudge, his sister, down without pushing him back underweight). I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years. (I hope, I'll know for sure later.) Larry Osborne > Hi Larry and Peepers! > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Catherine > I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is >getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume >and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of >worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years. (I >hope, I'll know for sure later.) Think of it this way: if it does turn out to be cardiomyopathy, think how lucky you are to catch it early. The prognosis for a cat that is showing no symptoms is generally excellent. I've heard of cats with mild cases that never get any worse. Good luck. > I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of > dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any of [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years. (I > hope, I'll know for sure later.) The first most people know about their cat having cardiomyopathy is that the cat drops dead. Often when the cat is running around and generally acting normal. You are being given the chance to get it diagnosed early (if indeed it is present) and thereby avoid that horrible scenario, yet to be honest, you seem to me to be making excuses about getting this looked into (e.g. saying the other cat won't like his smell when he returns from the vet; that happens to anybody whose cat goes to the vet for any reason, people just deal with it). Denial is not going to help Peepers if he does have HCM, meds are. And if he doesn't, the sooner you find out, the sooner you can relax and put the worry behind you. Me, I'm forever grateful that we got our boy diagnosed in time. Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because it has open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since the archives are open, you can read them without joining. Helen > > I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of > > dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any of [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Helen After a week of playing telephone tag and voicemail confusion with the vet, I've got a date set up for the ultrasound. If he has cardiomyopathy, I will know soon and deal with it. I will however continue to hope that this whole thing is something else much less drastic until I get a report from the vet that it is cardiomyopathy. There is a difference between hope and denial. With hope you may wish for the best but take steps to see what is going on and keep yourself open to do what is necessary. With denial you avoid taking the steps that are actually necessary. Thanks for the information about the Yahoo Group. Larry Osborne > After a week of playing telephone tag and voicemail confusion with the vet, > I've got a date set up for the ultrasound. If he has cardiomyopathy, I will > know soon and deal with it. I will however continue to hope that this whole > thing is something else much less drastic until I get a report from the vet > that it is cardiomyopathy. I'm glad you have an appointment set up. I hope it isn't HCM too, but if it is, it is often very treatable. > There is a difference between hope and denial. With hope you may wish for > the best but take steps to see what is going on and keep yourself open to do > what is necessary. With denial you avoid taking the steps that are actually > necessary. Yes, good point. Please keep us posted Helen > Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because > it has open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since > the archives are open, you can read them without joining. Hi Helen, I'm curious about this statement. I have recently joined many Yahoo groups, but don't ever post. So I would think the archives *do not* have my email address and I wouldn't be likely to get on spammers lists. But in reality, I'm getting spammed to death, and perhaps this is the reason? Just wondering aloud, really. mg > > Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because > > it has open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > mg Check to see if the lists you are on have open membership lists. If they do, there is your answer. Although yahoogroups munges addresses, it doesn't take a genius to work out that joebloggs@a... is likely to be an aol address, for example. If you are in the USA, you should also check your marketing preferences. Go to this link: http://edit.my.yahoo.com/config/eval_profile log in, and click on Edit Your Marketing Preferences. You may find they are set to "yes please, send me lots of spam". If so, you need to change them. HTH Helen >From: "Helen" helenandcats@DONOTSPAMntlworld.com >If you are in the USA, you should also check your marketing preferences. Go >to this link: > >http://edit.my.yahoo.com/config/eval_profile I wonder if Yahoo even pays attention to this. I have mine set but I still get tons of spam at my Yahoo address. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm If you're posting your real email addy on this newsgroup, that's probably one of the big reasons you're getting spam. I had to cancel my old yahoo! email account because it was getting spammed so badly, and I'm almost positive that's why. >>Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because >>it has open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > mg This is not a response to this particular item but a report regarding the original message. I had to cancel Peepers Ultrasound this week. I had a heart attack and had to leave the cats in the apartment. I left food and water enough to last a few days and while I was in the hospital one of the attemding cardiologists helped get ahold of the superintendents office and got a promise that if I faxed a signed letter letting them enter to feed and water the cats that they would do so. So we faxed the permission. There was enough food and water left to last to the end of Wednesday so I wasn't worried. They let me out Thursday late afternoon today and when I got home I found that my cats had NOT been fed or watered. The feed was gone and there was very little water remaining. I fed them quickly and put out fresh water which they both dug right in. They ate all their wet food and then completely ate up enough dry food to normally last a day. I put out some more dry food and they have slowed down (especially Peepers) their consumption. It could have ended badly, if I had been held in the hospital longer. Got me mad enough to have to use my (new) nitro. I've since calmed down somewhat, I can't afford to get that angry right now and still be here for my 2 cats. I'll contact the vet Friday to make another appointment for ultrasound for Peepers, hopefully within the week. This sucks. Larry Osborne ================= ================= > If you're posting your real email addy on this newsgroup, that's > probably one of the big reasons you're getting spam. I had to cancel my [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > > > mg > This is not a response to this particular item but a report regarding the > original message. I had to cancel Peepers Ultrasound this week. I had a [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Larry Osborne Larry! I'm glad you are Ok and that you got back when you did. You might consider lining up someone, maybe even through your vets for emergency situations. Goodness, I hope you are *all* feeling better soon. Karen > This is not a response to this particular item but a report regarding the > original message. I had to cancel Peepers Ultrasound this week. I had a [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Larry Osborne Sorry to hear this, Larry. I'm glad you made it, and am very relieved to hear your cats managed OK overall, despite the superintendent's office letting you down. Best wishes Helen Thanks, I am trying to help me get along. I will just have to see how it works out. I have found a person who can come in and feed them if I am taken ill again. I got the offer the night after I thought that I had the problem resolved with the superintendent here. Larry Osborne ====================== ====================== > > This is not a response to this particular item but a report regarding the > > original message. I had to cancel Peepers Ultrasound this week. I had a [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Helen >I have found a person who can come in and feed them if I am taken ill >again. I got the offer the night after I thought that I had the problem >resolved with the superintendent here. > >Larry Osborne Good luck, Larry. Take care of yourself and you'll be fine. Cats are very good nurses. Lifestyle changes really suck at first, but it pays off. I have a real love/hate relationship with the treadmill now, and have actually learned to like healthy food. Sherry > >I have found a person who can come in and feed them if I am taken ill > >again. I got the offer the night after I thought that I had the problem [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Sherry Ugh, healthy food! What is the world coming to? Larry Osborne >> Good luck, Larry. Take care of yourself and you'll be fine. Cats are very >good [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Larry Osborne OK, I can see you need a mentor.. Repeat after me... this is your new mantra... "McDonald's Is The Devil." :-) Sherry Larry, I'm so sorry about your heart attack. I'm glad everything turned out alright for you and your kitties during your hospital stay. I hope your and Peeper's health both continue to get better. :) Karen M. > Thanks, I am trying to help me get along. I will just have to see how it > works out. [quoted text clipped - 90 lines] >> >>Helen Gee, Larry.... good luck to you with your own health! > This is not a response to this particular item but a report regarding the > original message. I had to cancel Peepers Ultrasound this week. I had a [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > > > > > > mg > This is not a response to this particular item but a report regarding the > original message. I had to cancel Peepers Ultrasound this week. I had a > heart attack and had to leave the cats in the apartment. ...> > Larry Osborne Larry, What a stressful thing to happen! Thank goodness you are better and at home. A couple of things we do just in case we are unexpectedly gone for an extended time is to exchange keys with a trusted neighbor. That way we can look out for each other's pets, mail, etc. Another thing is that we have a cat sitter who has our key, and all we would have to do is give her a call. Annie |
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