Okay. Furball #1 has lost weight in the past 6 months and has a "heart murmur." He's actually lost about 1 pound in the last 6 months. Ugh. The vet didn't seem over-the-top alarmed, unlike me. They did an ultrasound and did blood work and urinalysis (I took them both in for their 6 month "wellness" check, so the blood and urinalysis were standard, the ultrasound wasn't). We'll get the results tomorrow. The vet seemed to think that if this was anything that it was the early stages of a heart problem. They're also doing a heartworm screening test. But she said that if it showed any heart issue that they would put him on a twice a week aspirin pill thingy. She then told me that one of her cats lived for 8 1/2 years on heart meds and that wasn't even what he ended up dying from. Okay, MW, breathe.
So, I brought him home (with his pathetic little shaved patches) and fussed over him and gave him some wet food, which he inhaled. I hope that he'll put on a little weight once we can get him feeling better. I'm just so worried - I fear that it's his kidneys and his heart. The FBs are only 10 - they're too young!!!
Anyway, this is a plea for 1) reassurance that we caught this early and that he'll be okay, and 2) any encouraging/heart-warming anecdotes.
I'm going to go give him a pet while he sleeps off his traumatizing day...
11 comments:
Oh he'll be fine he'll be fine! Poor little kitty. Listen to the vet--she knows whereof she speaks.
{{{kitty!}}}
oh, and {{{MW!}}}
Ditto. You caught any problem in time. And if he inhaled his dinner, it's not lack of appetite. A friend worried about her cat's weight loss, and then discovered it was 1) pushy feline roomie and 2) bad teeth. Both those problems addressed, and kitty is a happy and friendly little beastie.
[[[[[[[MW & kitties]]]]]]]]]
Oh, poor furball! And poor MW!
The inhaling of food does seem like a good sign. Keep us posted on the medical test results.
Hugs to the kitties! Hugs to MW! all will work out well, I'm sure of it.
(PS, you _are_feeding the magic job gnomes enough, aren't you? They might snack on the cat food if not, and that would account for the weight loss.)
Oh dear---sending hugs to you and the kitty. Poor guy. But I agree with heu - she knows of what she speaks. Don't panic yet.
(((((MW and FB))))
My cousin's kitty has lived for YEARS with worn out kidney's because she caught it early. If there is anything wrong, sounds as if you've caught it early (I've also seen what it looks like if if you catch it late).
I posted about my pet today, too. My dog ate Tylenol. Which can be very bad.
I'm sure whatever it is, it isn't cause for panic, though I know how you feel! Furballs are amazingly persistent. Do let us know what you learn.
Hi, Funnily enough my cat has just been diagnosed with a heart murmur and unclassified cardiomyopathy (enlarged left atrium that isn't emptying properly leading to risk of blood clots and sudden death). Our cat was on aspirin initially but apparently it has no proven benefits for animals. Another vet with experience with feline heart trouble put her on two meds: quarter of a tablet of Plavix (to limit risk of blood clots developing/increasing) and half a tablet of Fortekor (to widen blood vessels and reduce the strain on her heart). All that we can do is reduce the risks and work to keep her healthy as possible--there's no cure for enlarged heart chambers--but she's still symptom-free and leading a normal kitty life. As our vet said, cats don't read textbooks so she doesn't know her life expectancy....
And my cat is 10 too--must be something about that age. Or maybe it's cats that age in academic 'med & ren' households... Anyway, good luck with Furball.
Cats can go for years on various meds as long as you catch problems at an early stage, which you have done. They are amazingly tough critters. All the best to the Furballs.
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