Jasmine's heart checkup

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Juls - 16 Nov 2005 20:33 GMT

LOL, no definitive answer. (::::scream::::)

My vet did a very thorough heart listen, checked pulse and so on.
There's no murmur or anything suggestive of disease. It's all very
normal.

But of course that isn't conclusive, and she was honest about that. She
did say she'd do a chest xray if I like, but she said that one kind of
cardiomyopathy you can see on xray because the heart enlarges, but the
other kind (which is more common in cats) only on ultrasound because
you're looking for thickened something.

I asked what would she do if Jas was her cat, and she said she is very
conservative and would *probably* (based on the symptoms) wait and watch
for other signs.

She did give me a brochure from the specialists who do the sonogram and
said I would ask for one of two (there are like six vets in the
practice) who are internal medicine specialists, and that if Jas did
have a heart condition, they are on the cutting edge and would be the
best bet to treat it anyway.

So I'm kind of back to square one, and I guess what I'm going to do is
live through Thanksgiving holiday, see how much it worries me, and if I
can't stop worrying, then take her for the ultrasound. The two problems,
of course, it's expensive (but I'd spend my last cent to help my cats)
and it's a long, traffic hell drive into the city. Jas doesn't care for
drives.

I've really thought about it a lot, and I think there were maybe four or
five incidents of panting. The other times she did it, it *was* hot, and
she was in her room bouncing off the walls (during the intro to Jack
process). That room's ac vent isn't very effective (maybe because Jack
uses it to cover his box) and it got kind of hot in there at times.

The other time was the other night, and that was after a huge session of
laser dot. Since then, we've done laser dot and I wore out before she
ever got to panting. I do have to say that in my many years (whole life)
of cats and kittens, I've never seen one who can play/run as hard as she
does. But I've also never seen one pant. With laser dot, I swear she
would chase it until one of us dropped dead. Never saw anything like it
before.

So I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.

Gaahhhhhhhh.

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cybercat - 16 Nov 2005 20:54 GMT

> LOL, no definitive answer. (::::scream::::)
>
> My vet did a very thorough heart listen, checked pulse and so on.
> There's no murmur or anything suggestive of disease. It's all very
> normal.

Yippee!!

> But of course that isn't conclusive, and she was honest about that. She
> did say she'd do a chest xray if I like, but she said that one kind of
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>
> Gaahhhhhhhh.

Listen, Juls: we had it done because our cat was listing to one side and
feeling
around like she couldn't see, and was not responding to us. She was having
little attacks, the vet called them fainting spells. At the time she was
very
fat and had just been diagnosed with hyperthyroid, which gave her a heart
rate of over 300 bpm--so fast it was extremely hard to count manually!
We also were considering giving her the radiocats therapy--so in addition
to wanting the ultrasound to see if her fits were due to heart disease, we
wanted to see if her heart was fit enough for her to go through the
radioactive iodine treatment. My point: we had strong reasons to have
the ultrasound done. If Boo had been trim and fit as Jasmine is, and not
recently diagnosed with hyperT, which gave her a very fast heartbeat
(which in and of itself can cause arrythmia and fibrillation) we would
have waited to have it done. My vet has to call someone in to their
office to do it, so it was a big deal, and at $260, kind of expensive.

That said, if you are going to worry too much about it, it might make
YOU sick, so see how it goes and schedule the ultrasound even if she
has no more symptoms.

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cybercat - 16 Nov 2005 20:58 GMT

>If Boo had been trim and fit as Jasmine is, and not
> recently diagnosed with hyperT, which gave her a very fast heartbeat
> (which in and of itself can cause arrythmia and fibrillation) we would
> have waited to have it done.

I meant to say all of the above PLUS "if she had not been having fainting
spells."

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Karen - 16 Nov 2005 22:52 GMT

If it is going to fret you too much and she isn't real upset by vet visits,
the ultrasound is very non invasive and would be pretty conclusive. I mean,
it's not like some procedures. It would ease your mind and therefore be
better for both cats. I don't think you NEED to do it based on everything
you have said but if you are going to worry too much go ahead and spring for
it. There is certainly no HARM in getting one done so there aren't too many
cons here.

> LOL, no definitive answer. (::::scream::::)
>
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
>
> Gaahhhhhhhh.

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Phil P. - 17 Nov 2005 00:41 GMT

> LOL, no definitive answer. (::::scream::::)
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> other kind (which is more common in cats) only on ultrasound because
> you're looking for thickened something.

Hi Julie,

That's not entirely accurate. In the former (dilated cardiomyopathy) the
silhouette of the heart is usually enlarged in a globoid manner- like a
ball.

http://www.maxshouse.com/Illustrations/Dilated_cardiomyopathy.jpg

In the latter, more common form (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), the
silhouette is shaped more like a valentine because the atriums are usually
enlarged and the left ventricle comes to a point.

http://www.maxshouse.com/Illustrations/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy.jpg

http://www.maxshouse.com/Illustrations/HCM-x-ray-dorsoventral.jpg

http://www.maxshouse.com/Illustrations/HCM-x_ray_lateral.jpg

> I asked what would she do if Jas was her cat, and she said she is very
> conservative and would *probably* (based on the symptoms) wait and watch
> for other signs.

If you can afford sonograms, I'd have them done. Not so much to look for
HCM- because I doubt he has it, but to rule out any congenital defects that
might present problems later in life.

Best of luck,

Phil

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Juls - 17 Nov 2005 19:17 GMT

> > LOL, no definitive answer. (::::scream::::)
> >
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>
> http://www.maxshouse.com/Illustrations/HCM-x_ray_lateral.jpg

It's possible I mixed up what she said. I just felt that if an Xray
might not be conclusive, it seemed silly to spend the $75 for that, and
still know nothing and worry.

I appreciate everyone's posts on this so much!!!

I'm more calmed down today (though I wasn't uncalm yesterday, just
uncertain), and am going to get through Thanksgiving and see how it
goes. I'll likely end up doing the sonogram just for my own peace of
mind.

Yesterday, just an hour after the appointment, she was up on the cat
tree (the one I got at Wal Mart that I'm taking back...it's in the
middle of the kitchen) after I'd put her there. I'd been washing out a
huge pot, she jumped up on the counter and was wanting to dive in, so I
picked her up and put her on the tree. She was wet and soapy.

I turned around, and her tongue was hanging out. Mouth closed, just
hanging. My heart just fell and I went oh god! Then she looked at me and
tucked it back in her mouth. I realized it was just one of those things
where cats are licking and get their tongues stuck, not some big
disaster.

It made me think back to my aunt and uncle who had a baby that suffered
from a horrific genetic defect (Trisomy disorder) and died in his first
year. They later had another baby, and my aunt was feeding her and the
baby choked a little on the liquid. My aunt totally freaked out, then
realized all was fine, and she just sobbed and sobbed. It took years
before she could relax and realize "We get to keep this baby."

I think Dmitri dying in his sleep like he did plays into this. I know
his big old generous heart just wore out after 16 years of loving
everyone, but I think that feeds into my fears with her. I want her to
have a good, happy life. And I'm so fearful of poor Jack having to go
through more loss. He's been through too much already, my sweet velvet
teddy bear.

BTW, several said, back when Dmitri died, that one day I'd be grateful
he died peacefully like he did, and it's so true. As devastated as I
was, and I still miss him so, I *am* glad he died like he did, at home,
on his couch in his sleep. I look back and think of so many happy times,
and there's no trauma in any memories. Just peacefulness and smiles.

He would have loved Jas so much. He just loved everybody, darn it.

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cybercat - 17 Nov 2005 19:38 GMT

> I appreciate everyone's posts on this so much!!!
>
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>
> He would have loved Jas so much. He just loved everybody, darn it.

Juls, Jasmine is very lucky to have you. Your only problem is that you
are still traumatized from losing Dmitri. Once we feel the loss of someone
we love that much, it's more than a little scary to begin to love again--
and it makes sense that you would flip out at any sign of illness. I think
all of this is just part of your grieving process. Time is the only thing
that can numb us out enough to forget about the risk we take in
getting attached--and you did not let much time pass after Dmitri's
death, before getting Jasmine. But I bet Jasmine is glad you didn't.

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Juls - 17 Nov 2005 19:53 GMT

> Juls, Jasmine is very lucky to have you. Your only problem is that you
> are still traumatized from losing Dmitri. Once we feel the loss of someone
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> getting attached--and you did not let much time pass after Dmitri's
> death, before getting Jasmine. But I bet Jasmine is glad you didn't.

I think you're right about me still grieving and being traumatized. Very
true, just like it taking so long for my aunt to relax with her second
baby and realize she was going to be fine. (And that "baby" is headed
off to college next fall...to become a vet!)

I had no intention of getting another cat so soon, but did so because
number one, Jack was so incredibly depressed (and she did bring him out
of it...he loves her and is so amused, though occasionally annoyed, by
her) and number two, she needed a home.

Thanks for your nice comment. :)

Hopefully in time I'll settle back down. I have always loved my pets so
much.

Juls

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meee - 17 Nov 2005 01:03 GMT

well, if it's just panting, all of my cats panted at some stage during hot
australian summers, and most recently my jasmine panted all the time during
35deg celsius humid days when she was pregnant, and she is fine now, so i
would say maybe she just feels the heat a little, and maybe is very good at
working her little kitten self into a sweat!! Keep an eye on her by all
means, and maybe have more vet checkups than usual to keep an eye on it, but
i'd say she sounds fine. i wouldn't put her through the stress of a long car
drive unless there absolutely was a serious problem.

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> LOL, no definitive answer. (::::scream::::)
>
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
>
> Gaahhhhhhhh.

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