Experiences.

[FrenchToastKitten]

I went for a routine check-up with my senior cat (going to be 12 on March 30th) because she has the beginning of kidney disease and we've been dealing with that for around two years. She is also a very anxious cat and often has other health problems that pop-up and we manage. Her vet noticed a heart murmur which is new and decided to add a blood test to check her heart. She just left me a VM saying everything is stable, kidneys, thyroids, liver, etc. Except, her red blood cell count is a little low which she's seen before, and that she wants to re-check in three months and her heart markers were elevated. She suggested a cardiologist check it out (which we will do). But now I'm just sitting in my apartment crying my eyes out because I am imagining heart failure. Does anyone have any similar experiences? Advice?

 

[Antonio65]

I'm sorry to read of your bad news about your cat.
Take a deep breath and try not to cry or your kitty will sense your pain and could be sorry for you.

CKD usually gives low red blood cells count, so there might have been a few factors about why this time it was lower than before. Are you giving her sub-Q's for her kidneys? Is it possible that you gave her a greater amount of fluids the night before the blood test? Any change in diet and therapy in the days before the test?

It could be helpful to see the results from the blood panel. Could you post them (delete any personal details) so that we can rad them?

 

[Maurey]

Heya! I'm very sorry that you're going through all this with your kitty.

I will say, though -- a heart murmur doesn't necessarily mean anything bad! It's definitely something to keep an eye on regularly (twice a year is fairly routine in older cats, especially those not stressed excessively by the vet), but many cats will live long lives with low grade murmurs, and no real issues because of them.

 

[FrenchToastKitten]

Thank you both so much. I’m trying to remain calm. And she’s currently laying on top of me which she does whenever I am upset or cry. She’s my support and my entire world. I know she’s getting older so I am coming to terms with the fact she is just going to be sick sometimes. But she’s not showing any symptoms of anything. I took her for a check up. I didn’t know that about CKF. Thank you for the info. She hasn’t gotten to the level where fluids are necessary. She gets a protein binder in powder form that I put in her food. She’s also on a renal food diet. I take her every 3 to 6 months to get checked. I would rather do that then wait for something to happen. She doesn’t love it but she doesn’t fight me and usually gets over being upset pretty quickly. I wish I had the results but her vet just left me a voicemail.

I think when I heard heart murmur and then elevated heart marker from her blood work, I panicked. I just keep thinking congestive heart failure. The worst scenarios. She has shaky hind legs, back issues and has been slowing down as of late. But that is absolutely not new behavior. She has had arthritis and has been taking joint supplements for a while. I don’t know. I am definitely calmer. It helped to type out my worries. Thank you

 

[di and bob]

It is perfectly natural to think your world has ended when you receive news like this. I know the sinking feeling and the imagined scenarios, all bad, very well. Time will help with that, your brain will start thinking rationally instead of emotionally. My Burt was nine when he was diagnosed with the beginnings of CKF and a murmur with fluid around his lungs. The vet had taken an x-ray and it indicated his heart had enlarged. This means the muscles had enlarged and gotten 'flabby', unable to pump the blood efficiently and strongly like it was supposed to. I gave him a kidney support supplement from Amazon, encouraged water, and administered Lasix (furosemide)twice daily, 'cemented' to a piece of bacon (his favorite) with a tiny piece of Pill Pocket for cats. After the next x-ray which revealed it had taken care of the fluid, I changed it to once a day, monitoring his breathing, to see if it was still effective. Lasix thickens the blood, takes water out of the body, so the heart can pump it better. The reason I lowered it to once a day when he breathed better, is your emotions still won't let go and I imagined the blood too thick and causing clots. He lived happily from that first diagnosis at age nine till sixteen! I am very thankful. I just wanted you to know this so there is some hope at the end of the tunnel. He was so distraught going to the vet, it just wasn't worth it. he even had to be sedated. Especially to get x-rays. I monitored him at home and called the vet with any changes. I promised my little one he would never have to go back to the vet and he never did. He did live a happy and long life, eating all his favorite foods until the very end. I pray the same for your little one......
Now there is more tragedy (it seems to never end doesn't it?) My little Yammy was so very sick off and on, and was almost gone; when they diagnosed him with Leukemia. He was so so skinny and sick they told me he would be gone 'very soon', we even dug his grave. AND told me the other two cats in the household probably had it too. (though never any symptoms with one) I started them all on Amazon's LifeGold for cancer and DMG to build up their immune systems. I put it each morning in a shared packet of Hartz Delectable Lickables and they have never refused it. It is the ONLY thing that Yammy ate when he was so sick. They are still with me, fat and sassy 17 months later! they are 7, 7.5, and 8 now! So don't give up, miracles still happen, be thankful for each and every day you get!

 

[Antonio65]

I wish I had the results but her vet just left me a voicemail.

Is there the chance they send them to you? After all you paid for them.