Possible thyroid problem with enlarged heart

[dbcatperson]

I have a female cat with heart trouble. She has an enlarged heart and rapid breathing. She’s currently on furosemide twice a day and benazepril once a day. Not sure that this is really helping her much. She lays around most of the time and seems uncomfortable. her breathing is still fast. She does still eat a little at a time throughout the day. But something I read was about thyroid problems and how untreated thyroid issues can cause heart trouble and an enlarged heart along with breathing difficulty. I remember back in May, we brought her to the vet because her meow was hoarse and she seemed to be having trouble breathing. The vet gave her an antibiotic. It took over over 2 weeks for her to get mostly back to normal. I remember her weight was down a bit at the vet even though she seems to be eating well. She also had stopped playing with her favorite toy and running around--even after the antibiotics. When I brought her back to the vet earlier this year because of her rapid breathing, they took the x-ray and saw her heart was enlarged.

Is the only way to find out if there’s a thyroid issue is to have a blood test? I am very afraid to take her back to the vet in her condition. I’m afraid she’ll have a heart attack. Is there any home tests or any other way to test for this?

I’m just looking for any help or ideas. I don’t want to give up on her. Thank you.

 

[neely]

Is the only way to find out if there’s a thyroid issue is to have a blood test?

Yes, she would need to have a T-4 blood test for an accurate diagnosis in order to know if her thyroid level is in the normal range.
However, there are some customary symptoms of Hyperthyroidism. For example, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, increase in thirst and/or appetite, urinating more than normal, a matted or greasy coat and increased vocalizing. How old is she? Generally speaking Hyperthyroidism usually occurs in older cats but this is not written in stone.

Our cat was diagnosed with H-T last year and had some but not all of the above symptoms. Your cat may or may not have a thyroid health problem since there are other underlying causes of an enlarged heart so please talk with your vet to discuss this issue. Best of luck and please keep us updated on her progress.

 

[dbcatperson]

she is 11 years old. just so hard to see her like this. I lost my husband last year and the thought of having her put to sleep is too much for me. Her name is Daisy and she was so close to my husband. What's strange is my husband had congestive heart failure. This is just breaking my heart. I wish i knew if she could handle a trip in to the vet. I'm so scared to take her but she can't go on like this either. I'd say the weight loss is a problem and she has some vomiting and diarrhea--not often. I don't think i notice her peeing or drinking a lot and she's on the water pills too. I haven't heard her meow in a long time. Her normal vet will be in tomorrow. I'll have to try and talk to her to see what she thinks.
Thank you!

 

[neely]

Her normal vet will be in tomorrow. I'll have to try and talk to her to see what she thinks. Thank you!

Yes, definitely speak with your normal vet and get their advice. You may also want to ask if they think it's necessary to consult with a veterinary specialist, e.g. Internal Medical Specialist. I'm terribly sorry for the passing of your husband last. year. I'm sure this weighs heavily in your decision about Daisy too.

 

[dbcatperson]

Thank you. It's just been an ongoing nightmare. I just wish there could be some happiness and Daisy would get better. It's just too much for me to handle. Hopefully the vet will be helpful tomorrow.
Thank you again for your kind words.

 

[fionasmom]

I am sorry that you are facing health issues with Daisy. All that I can add is to ask if there is a possibility of a house call vet who could do a blood draw at your home so that you would not have to take Daisy to the actual vet.

 

[dbcatperson]

Thank you so much. The vet just mentioned that today that I could try and contact one of the in-home vets that she knows of or else try giving her some gabapentin to bring her in. I don’t know what to do. I think she’s going to be stressed out even if someone comes here but that might be the less stressful option. My nephew came over the other day and even in her weak condition she took off and hid. I wonder if I should try the gabapentin to see if she’ll even eat it in some food and see if that helps her to calm down before I schedule an appointment? even an appt for someone to come to my house? I’m so afraid. I don’t want her to have a heart attack but the vet said that it’s very possible about the thyroid issue but we have to get a blood test. The vet I go to is only 5 minutes from my house. I wish someone from there could come over to my house. I don't think it's an option, though.

 

[fionasmom]

Sometimes a vet tech will make a house call, but that depends on your practice. If they did so, the vet probably would have told you. To go to a private residence, vets usually need to be bonded and insured, just as other workers are, so this is not something about the vet not wanting to help you. Gabapentin is a widely used sedative. I had my GSD on it for years and use it with my cat who has a heart condition before I take him to the cardiologist.

 

[dbcatperson]

Thank you for explaining that. That makes sense now. Oh it's nice to hear someone else that is using the gaba medicine on a cat with heart issues. She can be so stubborn and can pick up medicines pretty easy that i'm worried if she'll eat this. I struggle with the medicines she's on now. Maybe i should give that a try and see if she'll take the gaba so I know if it's possible with her. Kind of worried about having another vet come to the house not really knowing much about them. but it might be the less stressful way to check her. Another problem is my house is a mess. Since my husband died, I just can't function much so the house is in bad shape. I hope the vet would understand.
I really appreciate the helpful posts. Thank you.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I just wanted to ask you what else, besides the x-ray, was done to verify the enlarged heart. I was told by my standard vet, based on x-rays that Feeby had an enlarged heart, and the vet suspected there was some fluid buildup as well. I had taken her to the vet because she has intermittent rapid breathing. Long story short, after an echocardiogram (and ultrasound, for other reasons), the internal medicine vet concluded she does not have an enlarged heart at all, and there really was not any fluid, but rather a possibility of mild asthma. She does have a leaky value (no treatment needed at this time), and asthma was not entirely ruled out, but she doesn't present with any coughing, so no treatment for that either for now. No cause has been found for her intermittent rapid breathing at this point. She is hyperthyroid (and has CKD), and her last T4 number does indicate she might need her thyroid meds increased - doing another followup on that in the near future.

How do you measure her breathing? And do you measure it both while she is totally asleep as well as when she is just resting? Did anyone do repeated BP checks with her? High BP - which can affect the breathing rate - is relatively common in cats with hyperthyroidism, and can be reversed when the thyroid meds are given. I was just wondering since it seems she is not getting much benefit from the meds she is currently on if an enlarged heart is really part of the problem.

You could get the x-rays looked at by an internal medicine vet to see if they would conclude the same about an enlarged heart. If they doubt the results at all, I would recommend an echo by a specialty group.

Re; getting meds down your cat - Feeby does will with a number of the lickable treats that are on the market and baby food meats (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut).

 

[dbcatperson]

Thank you so much. Boy, this makes me wonder. I know there was talk about possible asthma. Last year she was sick and had a hard time breathing and her meow was hoarse. They did an x-ray back then and now I can’t remember everything that was said but asthma I think was brought up but she’s not on medicine for that. She got an antibiotic and it took the full 2 weeks for her to get better. But I don’t know that she really recovered completely back to normal. She always use to play with this toy that has a ball in a track and she’s never went back to that. But then when I brought her back earlier this year for rapid breathing, she took another x-ray and compared it to the last x-ray in May and noticed her heart looked bigger and not much room between her heart and the chest wall. I think she noticed some fluid. But I wonder that her medicines don’t seem to really help her. No BP test was done and I think the benazepril affects that, doesn’t it? Today she didn’t eat much of her meds in the food and she seemed to do a bit better. But still far from normal.

I watch her sides move in and out while she's trying to rest and count for 30 seconds and they seem to be around that 20 mark. So close to 40 a minute. This is only when she’s resting. When she walks to the litter box, she has to stop and rest a couple of times and sometimes she’s really out of breath and puffing harder.

In some ways I’m hoping this could be thyroid and that getting her on that medication could maybe turn things around? I’m just struggling on if I should bring her to the vet or have the in-home vet come here. But I still think either way, I should first see if I can get her to take the gaba meds mixed in something. Baby food sounds great to try. I’ll have to get some and see if she'll go for that.. I was using some lickable hartz treats that she tolerated for a while but now she won’t touch it.

Thank you so much for all the helpful information. I appreciate this so much.

 

[FeebysOwner]

But then when I brought her back earlier this year for rapid breathing, she took another x-ray and compared it to the last x-ray in May and noticed her heart looked bigger and not much room between her heart and the chest wall. I think she noticed some fluid. But I wonder that her medicines don’t seem to really help her. No BP test was done and I think the benazepril affects that, doesn’t it?

I will tell you what I was told, the older the cat the bigger chance of their heart 'drooping' in their chest cavity, leading some to think it is enlarged because it is resting so close to the chest wall. Not saying that is your cat's case, but I had never heard that until the specialists explained it to me. Yes, the meds she is on would lower the BP rate, but it would have been nice to have had the rate checked in advance of the meds.

I watch her sides move in and out while she's trying to rest and count for 30 seconds and they seem to be around that 20 mark. So close to 40 a minute. This is only when she’s resting. When she walks to the litter box, she has to stop and rest a couple of times and sometimes she’s really out of breath and puffing harder.

Feeby's semi-resting rate can run about 40-45 breaths per minute - that is like after she has eaten and is ready to settle down for a nap. But her sleeping rate is more like mid-20s, which is relatively 'normal'. Again, not saying it is the case with your cat, but achiness/pain/discomfort of all kinds can also have impacts on the breathing rate when a cat is moving about - not to mention the discomfort causing a lack of interest in being too mobile.

Baby food sounds great to try. I’ll have to get some and see if she'll go for that.. I was using some lickable hartz treats that she tolerated for a while but now she won’t touch it.

You have to switch it up with the lickable treats so no one is used all the time. Feeby does like the Hartz Delectable ones, but she also like Temptations Purrrree, Vitakraft, Inaba Churu, Catit, Tiki Cat Stix, and Wholehearted. But, yes, some go over better than others from time to time. FortiFlora is supposed to be a probiotic, but works better as a food enticer and a little bit can be mixed with most anything. Feeby does well with it too, as long as I don't give it to her often.

 

[dbcatperson]

You have really given me a lot of good information and it's really making me wonder. I do have some forti flora here that i use for the cats when they are having diarrhea problems. but i'll have to look into some of these other treats you mention. I definitely need some other options to get her to eat her medicines. She is a licker for eating too so the smoother the food or treat, the better.

Her breathing rate never seems to calm down very much. She also seems to be uncomfortable and will shift many times.

I was wondering--how fast is it usually to get results if you're testing for thyroid issues? are results usually right away? I guess the main thing is to see if she'll take the meds to calm her down and see if it actually calms her down. maybe then the in-home vet will be a good option--maybe having another opinion on her wouldn't be a bad thing. But I know nothing about this person so I worry.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I was wondering--how fast is it usually to get results if you're testing for thyroid issues? are results usually right away? I guess the main thing is to see if she'll take the meds to calm her down and see if it actually calms her down. maybe then the in-home vet will be a good option--maybe having another opinion on her wouldn't be a bad thing. But I know nothing about this person so I worry.

I got the test results next day, but that is likely to vary on the set up your vet has and who they have for a lab if they don't do 'in-house'. My vet uses Antech and they send blood out daily and get results back the next day.
If you go this route, get the whole blood work spectrum - CBC, Super Chemistry, and T-4 (thyroid) - might as well get it done all at once if she hasn't had the other blood work done recently. It all should take about less than a minute to draw. Also, ask if they would want to do a free-T4, it will be more money, but sometimes it helps to diagnose hyperthyroidism at the onset.

If you bring someone into your house, they still need to document and share whatever their assessment is with your vet, so it's not like it won't be reviewed by at least two people. You can always get all of the test results for any procedures done on your cat (future, past and present) by asking that they send you copies of them. You paid for them when you paid for the tests, so they should be free to you upon request.

 

[dbcatperson]

Thanks--i'm going to print this out and ask about having those tests done. I'm just hoping i can get her to take the gaba meds and that it will keep her calm enough. I'm so scared of something going wrong. I'll have to get a list together of different treats to get and baby food and hope she'll eat one of them with the meds in it.

 

[neely]

I'll have to get a list together of different treats to get and baby food and hope she'll eat one of them with the meds in it.

Just make sure the baby food is meat only, no seasonings whatsoever. Regarding Gabapentin, I have to give it to our longhaired cat when I take him to the groomer several times a year. It also comes in a liquid form which I've found is easier for me to give him via syringe. It's flavored to disguise the taste. If you choose to pill Daisy one of these Articles might have some helpful tips and advice:
Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills – TheCatSite Articles
How Can I Give A Pill To My Cat – TheCatSite Articles

 

[dbcatperson]

Thank you. Oh i didn't know gaba came in liquid too. I have the capsules. I know my other cat would not eat it even mixed in tuna so I'm not sure if this cat will eat it either. I'll try.
Thanks for the articles you posted too. I'll be careful to get only meat baby food. Thank you!

 

[dbcatperson]

I’m not sure what to do. She’s being fussier today with food and I wasn’t able to give her the heart medicines so far. So the gaba wasn’t working out either. I’m going to get some baby food and try to get other treats to use.

If I’m unable to give her the gaba medicine, is it still less stressful to try and have an in-home vet come to the house even though we never met this person? Or take her to the vet she knows but I know the last time I took her in when she had the x-rays done, she was panting with her mouth open that this could be dangerous. Is there anything else I can do to help her to be calm?

When we first adopted Daisy, we had a vet that we went to that did house calls so her first vet checkup was with that vet. We had to chase Daisy all over to catch her because she was scared. That vet retired that we started going to the vet in town. But the in home vet she recommended would be someone new. I’m so afraid of making the wrong decision. We need to know if there’s a thyroid issue but I don’t want her to have a heart attack. Also, I remember going to vets in the past that were terrible at taking blood from a cat and that worries me to try someone new and if they will do a good job or not.
Thank you for your help.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Keep trying to get her to eat her meds, including the gabapentin. This concern you have about a heart attack - is this something that the vet told you was likely?

I have never used an in-home vet, so not sure how to compare that to a vet office visit - one would think the in-home visit would be less stressful, but I have no way of knowing that.

Most of the time, the vet techs are better with drawing blood than the actual vets themselves - probably because they do it a lot more often. If you can manage to check out the gabapentin and it does relax her, it will help with taking her blood more easily.

 

[fionasmom]

Yes, keep trying with the gabapentin. Keep changing up the medium that you are using to get her to take it. Even with those Hartz Delectables, my cats want different flavors. I agree that whatever a house call vet would do should be shared with your regular vet. When I mentioned using one, I should have explained that I meant that if they could get the blood draw that the results would be sent to your regular vet, not that you would change vets.

I also agree that having an EC done, if possible, could shed light on the heart condition. That definitely involves a vet visit though.