I lost Kitty just over 3 years ago to dilated cardiomyopathy ("DCH"). I find it strange that the diagnosis is considered extremely rare in cats (my local vet hospital even brought in other doctors to observe), and yet, the number of people here and on the Yahoo support group with DCH cats would suggest otherwise.
Sharing the below in hope that others will find the information useful and/or comforting.
Medical
Sharing the below in hope that others will find the information useful and/or comforting.
Medical
- Kitty was diagnosed February 13th, 2016 after observing the rapid breathing, and she was put down on August 2nd, 2016 at the age of 9.5.
- A year earlier, my wife and I observed the rapid breathing after coming back from vacation back in late August 2015. It went away after a day. Who knows if this was congestive heart failure/the start of DCH or something else.
- As others have shared, Kitty was on Furosemide (Lasix), Pimobendan (Vetmedin), Benazepril, and Potassium.
- Kitty was a domestic short hair with all white fur. Not blind or deaf. My wife adopted her around 8 weeks of age.
- Prior to diagnosis, Kitty always had a food addiction problem and was a bigger boned cat (14lb). When we weren't home, she'd sit in front of her food machine anxiously waiting for it to go off. When we are home, she was very cuddly and liked to sleep with us in bed.
- In 2012 or so, she developed a Urinary Tract Infection - a common issue with cats and likely unrelated to DCH. Figure I would note it anyways.
- I think it was 2014 or so? She began a habit of peeing on the floor a couple times a week. This is with a clean litter box. We never figured out why and vet tests, including thyroid, always came back normal. Everyone chalked it up as a behavioral issue. Thyroid levels can fluctuate making it hard to detect on normal tests and it could have explained the excessive appetite.
- Post-diagnosis in mid-2016, she acted normal aside from some lethargy (a side effect of both the medications and diagnosis). She still ate a lot. Breathing rate was constantly monitored. We didn't notice it at the time but her fur started looking unkempt -- now noticeable when looking back at pictures.
- About a week before we put her down, she seemed very distant and hung out by herself in the corner of our dining room. She didn't really get up much or move except for food and litter. That's when we knew it was nearing the end.
- In those final days, she exhibited this weird flat-footed look (instead of standing on her toes like a normal cat). Google search reveals it as a "plantigrade stance" likely due to her extremely weakened state.
- Looking back, prior to the diagnosis, we fed her all dry food -- Wellness Core Indoor Grain-Free Formula. The recent link between DCH and Grain-Free food has helped bring me a little bit of closure, even if it's not definitive in cats.
- Likely because of the dry food, she always drank a lot of water (well before diagnosis). Very unusual for a cat.
- She loved "Cat Sip" - it's milk without lactose. We gave her maybe 1/4 of the small carton every night. Looking back, I kick myself and can't help but wonder if calcium or something else played into her condition.
- After her DCH diagnosis, we switched her to a partial wet diet. Her medications were crushed with a mortar & pestle and mixed in with pate food (except for that one bitter medication, can't remember the name, but we used a pill pocket for it).
- Beyond the prescription meds, we also mixed in supplements including Taurine, CoQ10, and Fish Oil.
Post-deathProblem list:
Chest radiographs revealed evidence of congestive heart
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- History of congestive heart failure (pulmonary edema and pleural effusion)
- History of a mild ventricular arrhythmia – an ECG was not performed today, but her cardiac rhythm seemed
- regular throughout the visit
- Mild azotemia (elevated kidney values)
- Mild hypokalemia (low potassium)
failure (both pulmonary edema and pleural effusion). Her creatinine was 2.2 and her glucose was mildly elevated. Her total thyroid hormone level was normal (2.1). An ECG reportedly revealed an occasional ventricular premature complex.
- Physical examination:
Attitude: Bright, alert, and responsive
BCS: 6/9
Cardiac examination:
HR/rhythm: 180 bpm, regular
Murmurs: No murmur or gallop.
Femoral pulses: Fair bilaterally, no deficits
Mucous membranes: Pink, moist, CRT<2 sec
Pulmonary examination:
Resp rate/effort: 36 bpm, eupneic
Auscultation: No abnormal lung sounds identified
Other: Ambulatory x 4, peripheral lymph nodes and abdomen palpate within normal limits- Diagnostic tests:
-Echocardiogram
Assessment:
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The left ventricular lumen is moderately enlarged and exhibits mild systolic (contractile) dysfunction. The left ventricular walls are globally normal in thickness. The left atrium is moderately-to-severely enlarged. Spontaneous echogenic contrast is seen in the left auricle, but an obvious formed thrombus is not seen. No valvular regurgitations.
-No pleural effusion is seen today.
-Blood pressure
Method: Doppler, RFL, #2 cuff, sternal, calm
Average results: 106 mmHg systolic – Normal- Labwork
Kidney profile
Glucose 137 mg/dL (70-150)
*BUN 34 mg/dL (10-30)
Calcium 10.9 mg/dL (8-11.8)
*Creatinine 1.7 mg/dL (0.3-2.1)
Albumin 4.4 g/dL (2.2-4.4)
*Phosphorous 2.9 mg/dL (3.4-8.5)
Sodium 155 mmol/L (142-164)
*Potassium 3.4 mmol/L (3.7-5.8)
*Chloride 101 mmol/L (112-126)
*tCO2 28 mmol/L (15-24)
- Our local hospital was great and was able to provide us with a clay paw print.
- We buried Kitty in our backyard. We still visit her grave from time to time. Looking back, we regret not cremating her because when we move, we feel like we're leaving her behind.
- My wife and I were and are not religious at all. However, I began reading about cat souls even before Kitty passed away. This included accounts of people being "visited" by their deceased cat and b.) how cat braiding occurs where the deceased cat trades with or combines souls with a new cat's body to rejoin their owner. The logical, scientific side of me says it's hokey but I have to admit it was comforting.
- Apparently, visitation dreams after a pet's death is quite common. About 2 weeks after Kitty's death, I had a very vivid dream where we met in a classroom setting and she was equal in relative size to me. She told me she was OK and not to worry about her. The logical, scientific side of me says I subconsciously dreamt this because I had previously read those accounts.
- Every birthday, Christmas, and her death anniversary, we donate money to the Cornell Feline Health Center. They are one of the top research institutes for cat health (including DCH) in the U.S.