ilovemycat January 28th, 2008, 10:57 PM Hello everyone, Im new and would like to see if anyone has had a similar experience. My cat became ill 2 weeks ago, after taking her to the vet they said she had a weak heart, and infection. She was on antibiotics for a week and also furosemide and fortekor (which she will be for life) the problemis she reallyhas no appetite now and only eats a small amoount ot tuna - we have been force feedingher recovery food for a week now. Any suggestions, its breaks my heart to see a normal chubby good appetite cat just lay around and not eat.
sugarcatmom January 28th, 2008, 11:28 PM It's definitely a concern when a chubby kitty becomes anorexic. I know antibiotics can often cause digestive issues in cats and cause them to lose their appetite, not sure what effect the other drugs would have. Has your cat had blood work done since the inappetence started, particularly for her liver values? The big concern when a cat stops eating is hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver). Treatment involves aggressive feeding of high protein food, usually through a feeding tube (although syringe feeding is possible if the cat tolerates it). Appetite stimulants may also be needed. What does your vet say about all this? Did they specify what the heart condition is?
ilovemycat January 28th, 2008, 11:31 PM The vet said it was a weak heart. We are feeding her with a syringe, and she is eating a little on her own. The vet said the she will eventuallyget her appetite back. We have tempted her with all her favorites, but no luck. She does eat a little tuna every day, and just as im typing she is eating just a few nibbles of her dry food. I was looking at the side effects of the meds, and lethargy is one of them.
sugarcatmom January 28th, 2008, 11:48 PM What about trying something like plain meat baby food (no onions)? Chicken is a popular favourite. Maybe you can get her to lick it off your finger. Also boiled or broiled chicken meat is very appealing, you can even offer the broth for hydration. Pull out all the stops in trying to get her to eat. Canned salmon, deli meats, cheese..... The fact that she is nibbling a little is a good sign, but don't let your vet be too cavalier about it. A "weak heart" isn't really a diagnosis, and what tests did he do to come to that conclusion?
ilovemycat January 28th, 2008, 11:58 PM I think I will try the baby foos, or the boiled chicken and broth. The vet was really not that helpful or sensitive. They showed us the xrays that showed fluids around her heart and seemed to be more concerned about sending her for ultrasound. he did sayher liver was funtioning normally, and that she had an infection that was causing the fluid around her heart. The diaretics seemed to help as we noticed right away the change in her, the bloating was gone and she was soft again. We are really not sure what to think about them stating she will need to be on heart medication and diatetics for the remainder of her life. Its the heart medication that makes her lethargic. Its a shame that after spending so much money we left really not knowing much more thatn when we arrived.
ilovemycat January 29th, 2008, 12:09 AM By the way, thank you so much for taking the time to reply and for the suggestions. Its hard when your pet is sick, and sometimes we arn't thining clear. I appreciate it!!! :)
Lukka'sma January 29th, 2008, 08:26 AM I hope your poor kitty starts to feel better soon. It is hard to watch a pet's health decline and you feel helpless to do anything about it. Good luck to your little one
phoozles January 29th, 2008, 12:40 PM I think I will try the baby foos, or the boiled chicken and broth. The vet was really not that helpful or sensitive. They showed us the xrays that showed fluids around her heart and seemed to be more concerned about sending her for ultrasound. he did sayher liver was funtioning normally, and that she had an infection that was causing the fluid around her heart. The diaretics seemed to help as we noticed right away the change in her, the bloating was gone and she was soft again. We are really not sure what to think about them stating she will need to be on heart medication and diatetics for the remainder of her life. Its the heart medication that makes her lethargic. Its a shame that after spending so much money we left really not knowing much more thatn when we arrived.
I got a similar diagnosis for my cat Jake - they said they didn't know exactly what it was, but sort of recommended an ultrasound $$$. There was fluid around the heart and a murmer.
I'll have you know that I had Jake on both those pills you mentioned, and his appetite disappeared too - I had half of an appetite stimulant left from his earlier problem - gave it to him and he was back to his old self..
He was potentially supposed to stay on those pills for life, but I checked with another vet who said it wasn't necessary. My recommendation is to get a second opinion from another vet if you can, and if she's still not eating much, ask the new vet for an appetite stimulant - the bigger they are, the more they need to eat..
sugarcatmom January 29th, 2008, 12:47 PM IThey showed us the xrays that showed fluids around her heart and seemed to be more concerned about sending her for ultrasound. he did sayher liver was funtioning normally, and that she had an infection that was causing the fluid around her heart. The diaretics seemed to help as we noticed right away the change in her, the bloating was gone and she was soft again. We are really not sure what to think about them stating she will need to be on heart medication and diatetics for the remainder of her life. Its the heart medication that makes her lethargic. Its a shame that after spending so much money we left really not knowing much more thatn when we arrived.
This reminds me of something another member on here went through recently with her cat, Jake. He had chest fluid that was caused by a URI and was temporarily misdiagnosed as having a heart problem. Like your cat, he was put on diuretics. He's doing fine now that his URI is gone. Perhaps you could PM her for more details, her username is Phoozles.
It's true that a definitive diagnosis of a heart condition is best done via ultrasound (called an echocardiogram), but they are also very expensive (my cat has had 2 done, the first one costing $500). It's the only way to know for sure what the specific condition is, whether it's hypertropic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy etc. There are drugs tailored to each type, which is why it can be a good idea to know for sure what you're dealing with. Fortekor is an ACE Inhibitor that reduces blood pressure (typically prescribed for cats with CRF), and Furosemide (also called Lasix) is a diuretic. Calcium channel blockers and beta blockers are other drugs used for cardiomyopathy. I also recommend supplementing all heart conditions with Coenzyme Q10.
There's is a really good Yahoo feline heart group that has lots of info and support if you need it: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline-heart/
Hope your kitty gets better soon. Keep giving us updates!
sugarcatmom January 29th, 2008, 12:54 PM Ah-ha, there's phoozles! I'm apparently a slow typer. Of course when one is posting from work and trying to do both at the same time, these things happen.
phoozles January 29th, 2008, 04:11 PM Ha - Sugarcatmom - you actually summed up my situation better than I did! :laughing:
Yes, Jake had a combo URI and FHV outbreak - and is now no longer on the heart meds and doing fine - is there any chance that your kitty might be showing other signs of sickness (i.e. coughing, etc) ?
I would first - get a new vet, and second - ask about a possibility of a URI being the cause.
I don't know if your cat loves the pills, but Jake wasn't a fan - especially that one big one - even cut in half it was huge! If I didn't see a new vet, he'd still be on them.
Otherwise, an ultrasound is unfortunately the only way to go. :shrug:
Good luck, and keep us posted! :grouphug:
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