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cindys - 31 Dec 2007 22:53 GMT

Bullwinkle has now been home from the emergency vet for a few hours. When he
first arrived, he seemed really happy, went to his bowl and was wolfing down
his cat food, used the litter box, and then sat down to rest. About an hour
later, he went to hide behind the piano. He has never hidden anywhere in the
eight years we've had him, and I don't know that he's ever gone behind the
piano. My husband took Bullwinkle out and brought him back in the kitchen
(where his food and bed are). He ate a little more food, and then lay down
on his bed. His breathing is very slow and quiet and while he remains
responsive (if we call his name, he will lift up his head and look at us
expectantly), he seems somewhat oblivious to the general activity going on
around him. Is he dying? My husband thinks he is. I'm not sure. I phoned the
emergency vet and after some discussion, they thought we should bring him
back (although they didn't feel strongly one way or the other). If we do
bring him back, I'm not sure there's anything they can do for him. His
breathing isn't labored. I don't think he needs any more x-rays, and he
doesn't need another thoracocentesis (at least not right now). If he is
dying, it would be nicer for him to die naturally at home, as long as he's
not suffering or in respiratory distress. OTOH, I don't know that he is
dying. Maybe he's just totally exhausted from the ordeal of spending 12
hours at the emergency vet, in strange surroundings, being poked and
prodded. (He's in the kitchen now, and he's not looking for hiding places)
Anyone have any thoughts on any of this?
Best regards,
---Cindy S.

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Paul M. Cook - 02 Jan 2008 00:35 GMT

> Bullwinkle has now been home from the emergency vet for a few hours. When he
> first arrived, he seemed really happy, went to his bowl and was wolfing down
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> Best regards,
> ---Cindy S.

Cindy, all you can do is to wait and watch him. His behavior is not so
unusual considering he's been through a lot recently. He may be very
confused. Also, he may just want to be alone. Sick cats are like this,
they want to curl up away from activity. It is not a sign of impending
doom, no. But it is too early to know. The waiting is the hardest part of
it all. Be patient as best you can. Only time will tell. Every day you
will see signs of where this is going. I am sad to say that when the chest
cavity begins to fill with fluid repeatedly, then there is not much more
that can be done. It is a sign that the body is shutting down.

Hope for the best, watch Bullwinkle and if he seems to be in pain or
distress act immediately. It is so hard I know, but there is little you can
do at this point. If he is in respiratory distress you will know it. He
will grunt and wheeze and howl loudly. Yes, passing at home is best - if it
comes to that ask a vet to come to your home and perform the procedure.
Many will do this.

Best wishes for Bullwinkle.

Paul

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cindys - 02 Jan 2008 04:48 GMT

>> Bullwinkle has now been home from the emergency vet for a few hours. When
> he
[quoted text clipped - 51 lines]
> comes to that ask a vet to come to your home and perform the procedure.
> Many will do this.

----------
Thank you. We decided to watch and wait. We did not return to the emergency
service since his breathing was calm. We decided he was probably just
exhausted and not dying, but if he were dying, we would let him go naturally
at home as long as his breathing wasn't labored. It did turn out he was just
tired. Today, he had a really good day and seemed completely back to normal,
just like nothing ever happened. He ate voraciously, was back on his usual
chair, jumped up in my husband's lap, tail up in the air, just like
everything was back to normal. I know it isn't, and it's only a matter of
time before his chest fills up again. But in the meantime, I plan to keep
him on the medications and hope for the best. Tomorrow, I am going to phone
my regular vet and have a discussion with her regarding the cardiology
consultation and echocardiogram. Unless she tells me something I haven't
thought of that could really make a difference, I think I would like to skip
the echocardiogram and the consultation. My intention at this point is to
simply ask her to refill Bullwinkle's medications (the emergency service
dispensed only a few days' worth of medications) and watch and wait. He has
congestive heart failure, which is a terminal disease. The goal (in my
opinion) is to keep his arteries open so his heart doesn't have to work so
hard and keep him on diuretics so his chest won't fill up so fast. I would
like to keep him going for as long as possible as long as he's not in
discomfort. I would not be opposed to having a thoracocentesis again, if
necessary, but as the need becomes more frequent, I will not put him through
the trauma of this procedure again and again. As you said, we will watch and
wait. When the time comes, my husband does not want a vet to come to our
house to perform the procedure. I don't know why, but there's nothing I can
do. I would like to avoid the trauma of the car ride and the trip to the vet
if possible.
Thank you for your good wishes.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.

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