Hi All,
I want to you thank you in advance if you read this long ramble. The short version of this is that my beloved boy, Winston is in end-stage Congestive Heart Failure and I need tips on how to cope. Here is the longer/more detailed version:
I adopted Winston six years ago from a local shelter. I was hold he was three years old. At the time, he weighed a smidge over 30 lbs (I know, BIG BOY). The six years that I have had him have been full of medical emergencies; countless upper respiratory infections, an eye infection, pancreatitis, FVR, and of course the endless battle with his weight (I eventually got him down to 18 lbs but it was an uphill battle).
Last year, I moved in with my fiance which was about a two hour drive from our tried and true vet. I found a fabulous new clinic that saw only cats and we immediately loved them. It was Winnie's first appointment with them and we were blindsided; they found a "galloping rhythm" in his heart. His blood work also revealed that he had hyperthyroidism.
After a number of other tests and a visit to a cardiologist we learned that our boy's heart was simply not functioning as it should. The working theory is that his hyperthyroidism put a strain on his heart and ultimately lead to it weakening.
As I mentioned, we were shocked. He had just had a check up one year ago and everything was fine! The other shock was that we thought he was now 8 years old but we were informed by our new vet that he was likely much much older; closer to 12 or 13.
But, not all hope was lost. His condition was classified as 'moderate" and with medication, we were able to buy some time. He's been on Methimazole, Enalapril and Clopidogrel ever since with check-ins/bloodwork every six months.
Last week, we noticed he wasn't eating as much and then I thought that his tummy felt a little weird, like an over-inflated balloon. We rushed him in to the vet and received the devastating news that his stomach was full of fluid, 1600mL of fluid to be exact. They drained it out but we were told that this is not a good sign. Our vet told us that this is end-stage congestive heart failure and that draining the fluid will only make him comfortable for a period of time. His heart is failing and we don't have long with him. Our vet put him on Lasix to help manage the fluid retention.
He's home with us now, eating whatever he wants, drinking plenty of water and getting so many snuggles. He's still not eating normally though and I'm driving myself crazy watching him for any tiny little change in behavior. Our vet has told us there is nothing more we can do beyond keeping him comfortable.
So, now I'm here... for many reasons. 1/ I would love to hear from others who have had babies with CHF. Is there anything else that I can be doing for him by way of palliative care? Are there things I should be watching out for? Does this truly sound like the end or should I get a second opinion (we will seriously keep throwing money at this if there is even a glimmer of hope)? 2/ While I grew up with cats, they were always my parent's responsibility. When their time here was done, my parents made that call. Now, at 30, I have my own fur baby and I need to step up and make this decision when the time comes and I simply don't know if I can do it or even how I'll know when it's actually time.
My fiance and I have never gone through anything like this before and I'm second-guessing every choice we make. Our top priority is keeping Winston comfortable and while I would fight tooth and nail to keep him here with us, I'm also trying to be mindful of the fact that the measure of his life should be quality, not quantity. We're struggling and I want to do everything that I can for him. Any advice is very welcome.
I want to you thank you in advance if you read this long ramble. The short version of this is that my beloved boy, Winston is in end-stage Congestive Heart Failure and I need tips on how to cope. Here is the longer/more detailed version:
I adopted Winston six years ago from a local shelter. I was hold he was three years old. At the time, he weighed a smidge over 30 lbs (I know, BIG BOY). The six years that I have had him have been full of medical emergencies; countless upper respiratory infections, an eye infection, pancreatitis, FVR, and of course the endless battle with his weight (I eventually got him down to 18 lbs but it was an uphill battle).
Last year, I moved in with my fiance which was about a two hour drive from our tried and true vet. I found a fabulous new clinic that saw only cats and we immediately loved them. It was Winnie's first appointment with them and we were blindsided; they found a "galloping rhythm" in his heart. His blood work also revealed that he had hyperthyroidism.
After a number of other tests and a visit to a cardiologist we learned that our boy's heart was simply not functioning as it should. The working theory is that his hyperthyroidism put a strain on his heart and ultimately lead to it weakening.
As I mentioned, we were shocked. He had just had a check up one year ago and everything was fine! The other shock was that we thought he was now 8 years old but we were informed by our new vet that he was likely much much older; closer to 12 or 13.
But, not all hope was lost. His condition was classified as 'moderate" and with medication, we were able to buy some time. He's been on Methimazole, Enalapril and Clopidogrel ever since with check-ins/bloodwork every six months.
Last week, we noticed he wasn't eating as much and then I thought that his tummy felt a little weird, like an over-inflated balloon. We rushed him in to the vet and received the devastating news that his stomach was full of fluid, 1600mL of fluid to be exact. They drained it out but we were told that this is not a good sign. Our vet told us that this is end-stage congestive heart failure and that draining the fluid will only make him comfortable for a period of time. His heart is failing and we don't have long with him. Our vet put him on Lasix to help manage the fluid retention.
He's home with us now, eating whatever he wants, drinking plenty of water and getting so many snuggles. He's still not eating normally though and I'm driving myself crazy watching him for any tiny little change in behavior. Our vet has told us there is nothing more we can do beyond keeping him comfortable.
So, now I'm here... for many reasons. 1/ I would love to hear from others who have had babies with CHF. Is there anything else that I can be doing for him by way of palliative care? Are there things I should be watching out for? Does this truly sound like the end or should I get a second opinion (we will seriously keep throwing money at this if there is even a glimmer of hope)? 2/ While I grew up with cats, they were always my parent's responsibility. When their time here was done, my parents made that call. Now, at 30, I have my own fur baby and I need to step up and make this decision when the time comes and I simply don't know if I can do it or even how I'll know when it's actually time.
My fiance and I have never gone through anything like this before and I'm second-guessing every choice we make. Our top priority is keeping Winston comfortable and while I would fight tooth and nail to keep him here with us, I'm also trying to be mindful of the fact that the measure of his life should be quality, not quantity. We're struggling and I want to do everything that I can for him. Any advice is very welcome.
