Sudden health issues (fluid in lungs, enlarged heart)

[BluOnyx]

I adopted a cat that was FIV+ in 2018 and he was otherwise healthy. Have not had any issues with him until recently. He had an issue with his eye and a runny nose, so I took him in to see the vet. He had an URI and conjunctivitis. They gave him a shot and some eye drops. He was nearly 100% better in two days but suddenly started having breathing issues. He was still acting completely normal. Eating, drinking, playing and everything so my vet had no concerns. This was a few days ago. Something just did not feel right in spite of this so I took him to the ER last night.

Turns out he had fluid in his lungs. They wanted to keep him and I wanted everything done to help him. I was thinking maybe pneumonia or something from his URI. I got a call an hour or so later telling me he not only had a lot of fluid in his lungs but around his heart and his heart was enlarged. Told he has months not years left.

Recently speaking to another vet with an update, he is doing good and was recommended to see a heart specialist to rule out heart disease so now I am confused. Last night it seemed almost certainly he did not have long to live and today now they believe it could be heart disease but they are not 100% certain. And if the cause of the fluid is from some sort of valve defect, surgery may be an option to correct it.

He is off oxygen and doing good there. He is eating for them and everything. Very affectionate which is no surprise to me, he loves people. I will be taking him to a specialist and doing everything I can but I just feel at a loss right now.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I am just so gutted and worried. I hardly slept.

 

[FeebysOwner]

While you would expect well-experienced vets at an ER, maybe not. How old is your cat?

My cat was having some fast breathing at various points in time of the day. The vet took some x-rays of her chest, said she had an enlarged heart and what looked to be fluid in the chest cavity/lungs. This resulted in me taking her to a specialty group for repeat x-rays and an echocardiogram. Turns out that the way a cat lays, especially older ones due to naturally occurring muscle structural changes, can cause the heart to look enlarged when it is not. As far as the fluid, it was ruled out, but they did say she could have some degree of asthma, based on what they called cloudiness rather than actual fluid. However, since she was/is not coughing which is common with asthma it was determined she needed no treatment. She does have a leaky tricuspid valve also not requiring treatment. That was 1 1/2 years ago, and - knock on wood - nothing has negatively changed for her from this aspect.

So, sometimes x-rays can be misleading, done at the wrong angles, or improperly read. You could ask for the x-rays that were done to be shared with a heart specialist, but if they deem them to be of poor quality, they will likely want another set done by their own staff.

Hope your case turns out similar to mine!!

 

[BluOnyx]

While you would expect well-experienced vets at an ER, maybe not. How old is your cat?

My cat was having some fast breathing at various points in time of the day. The vet took some x-rays of her chest, said she had an enlarged heart and what looked to be fluid in the chest cavity/lungs. This resulted in me taking her to a specialty group for repeat x-rays and an echocardiogram. Turns out that the way a cat lays, especially older ones due to naturally occurring muscle structural changes, can cause the heart to look enlarged when it is not. As far as the fluid, it was ruled out, but they did say she could have some degree of asthma, based on what they called cloudiness rather than actual fluid. However, since she was/is not coughing which is common with asthma it was determined she needed no treatment. She does have a leaky tricuspid valve also not requiring treatment. That was 1 1/2 years ago, and - knock on wood - nothing has negatively changed for her from this aspect.

So, sometimes x-rays can be misleading, done at the wrong angles, or improperly read. You could ask for the x-rays that were done to be shared with a heart specialist, but if they deem them to be of poor quality, they will likely want another set done by their own staff.

Hope your case turns out similar to mine!!

Thank you for sharing this. He will be seeing the heart specialist tomorrow. What puzzles me is how he is acting normal. Like nothing at all is wrong. He is still very outgoing, moving around, eating and everything. I don't know what time he will be ready today but I hope it is soon, I really miss him.

He is roughly 6 years old. I don't know his exact age as he was a rescue. I just know when I adopted him in 2018, he was over the age of 1. So I considered him 2 the day I adopted him to round up.

I suspected asthma before because he would have periods where he would act like he was throwing up a hairball and swallow it and a lot of people online (videos and comments I have watched/read) said this was asthma. I have another cat that does this as well, he is not even 2 years old and a ragdoll so now I am paranoid with him. The thing is, this coughing did not start until after the ragdoll was bigger which makes me believe it is down to grooming (he always grooms the ragdoll).

They did get fluid out of his lungs and from his chest, quite a bit of it so something did cause this. I am just trying to stay positive, it very hard. Everything I read just sounds terrifying.

 

[r-kins]

My parents' cat passed from congenital heart failure around age 5. His breathing was labored because his lungs filled with fluid. They drained them, and then put him on meds. Unfortunately, the meds only gave him a short time, and when his lungs began to fill again they had to put him to sleep because death from lung fluid is really unfair to subject a cat to.

The emergency vet did send them to a specialist who prescribed the meds to keep him around as long as possible.

I really hope this isn't the case for you and that you get better news. Please keep us updated!

 

[BluOnyx]

That is what I am scared of. I will update things as they happen. I am terrified of losing him. I lost another cat in 2021, cancer. I just want my little guy to get better.

 

[iPappy]

Hi,
Do you remember what "the shot" the vet gave him for the URI was?
I hope he improves and is better very soon.

 

[r-kins]

I really hope that it's something they can fix. We're all rooting for you and your kitty.

 

[BluOnyx]

Hi,
Do you remember what "the shot" the vet gave him for the URI was?
I hope he improves and is better very soon.

It was convenia.

 

[iPappy]

It was convenia.

I'm sure the heart specialist will have this information but double check that they know this. I'm sending you prayers and well wishes for the visit tomorrow with the specialist. It's a great thing that he acts so normally and doesn't act like anything is wrong!

 

[Shawna87]

This situation was almost the exact same thing I went through! I took in an abandoned cat and noticed her having those same coughing fits. She was given antibiotics multiple times for it and I was told she had asthma. I finally took her to a cat specialist’s and they did an X-ray of her lungs and heart and the vet said she did not have asthma but had an enlarged heart and I would not have many more years with her.

I was recommended to do an echocardiogram and I did. When the vet looked at it she said it was an issue with her heart and that was causing the fluid in her lungs. She was put on Furosemide for the fluid and it helped a ton!

The vet sent the echocardiogram to a cat heart specialist and I got a call from them informing me my cats heart was completely normal and she would be able to live a long life still!

X-rays aren’t always accurate and can be misleading. They are definitely helpful but I’d really consider seeing a cat only vet and getting a heart scan and a professional to look at it.

My cat is still on that medicine because I cannot figure out what is causing the fluid in her lungs. We are getting a blood test done by a cat specialist to see where to go from here.

I totally feel you with how discouraging and confusing it can be when your cat has these issue. Make sure you have a vet that is experienced in cats and knows them very well. They are more expensive and you may have to drive further but getting the right answers and not paying for multiple vet visits where your cat could be misdiagnosed and treated makes it so worth it and cheaper in the long run.

 

[BluOnyx]

This situation was almost the exact same thing I went through! I took in an abandoned cat and noticed her having those same coughing fits. She was given antibiotics multiple times for it and I was told she had asthma. I finally took her to a cat specialist’s and they did an X-ray of her lungs and heart and the vet said she did not have asthma but had an enlarged heart and I would not have many more years with her.

I was recommended to do an echocardiogram and I did. When the vet looked at it she said it was an issue with her heart and that was causing the fluid in her lungs. She was put on Furosemide for the fluid and it helped a ton!

The vet sent the echocardiogram to a cat heart specialist and I got a call from them informing me my cats heart was completely normal and she would be able to live a long life still!

X-rays aren’t always accurate and can be misleading. They are definitely helpful but I’d really consider seeing a cat only vet and getting a heart scan and a professional to look at it.

My cat is still on that medicine because I cannot figure out what is causing the fluid in her lungs. We are getting a blood test done by a cat specialist to see where to go from here.

I totally feel you with how discouraging and confusing it can be when your cat has these issue. Make sure you have a vet that is experienced in cats and knows them very well. They are more expensive and you may have to drive further but getting the right answers and not paying for multiple vet visits where your cat could be misdiagnosed and treated makes it so worth it and cheaper in the long run.

Thank you for sharing this. It helps with staying positive. Between his first visit for the URI, this ER visit, and now tomorrow... Looking at a total of $4,000, maybe more. He is worth it. Every penny. I will look into finding a more experienced vet if I have to, even if costs more. You are 100% right. I know he isn't my physical child but he is very much my family. And very much a good friend. He helped me a lot when I lost my other cat in 2021.

 

[BluOnyx]

He is back home now. They said he was looking good but there is a possibility the fluid could come back, they don't know when. The scan he gets tomorrow will tell them more. He has some prescriptions to reduce fluid/retention, one is for thinning blood, and one for clearing any sort of build-up that may be left. He was very happy to be home and wouldn't sit still and kept wanting to eat. Now he is cleaning himself. His eyes are very red. I am assuming this could be from not sleeping good. I hope he is able to relax and sleep good tonight and tomorrow we get good news.

I will update everyone tomorrow. Thank you for your feedback, thoughts, and prayers.

 

[iPappy]

Thank you for sharing this. It helps with staying positive. Between his first visit for the URI, this ER visit, and now tomorrow... Looking at a total of $4,000, maybe more. He is worth it. Every penny. I will look into finding a more experienced vet if I have to, even if costs more. You are 100% right. I know he isn't my physical child but he is very much my family. And very much a good friend. He helped me a lot when I lost my other cat in 2021.

I'm with you. They aren't my physical children, but as someone who has no children of her own I can safely say that, to me, they ARE like my children in every way possible. And when they are sick, I don't mess around!

 

[iPappy]

He is back home now. They said he was looking good but there is a possibility the fluid could come back, they don't know when. The scan he gets tomorrow will tell them more. He has some prescriptions to reduce fluid/retention, one is for thinning blood, and one for clearing any sort of build-up that may be left. He was very happy to be home and wouldn't sit still and kept wanting to eat. Now he is cleaning himself. His eyes are very red. I am assuming this could be from not sleeping good. I hope he is able to relax and sleep good tonight and tomorrow we get good news.

I will update everyone tomorrow. Thank you for your feedback, thoughts, and prayers.

I hope you get some rest, and good news tomorrow.

 

[BluOnyx]

I was sitting with him for an hour petting him trying to get him to sleep. I thought he had but he got up when I went into the other room. He seems restless but tired at the same time. I hope he is able to sleep when we go to bed. I want to make sure he gets a good night's rest cause I know tomorrow will be a bit stressful for him. He don't show it but I know he has to be nervous. I am just thankful he is a people cat. Makes things so much easier and everyone loves interacting with him which ensures he gets attention.

Do cats usually seem tired yet restless after fluids being drained? I didn't get a chance to ask the ER.

 

[iPappy]

He (and you!) have been through a lot in a very short period of time. "Too tired to sleep" is not just a human thing. Does he normally sleep near you? I would do the normal bedtime routine thing a little early tonight, and read or watch TV so you can check on if he's settling in before you actually go to sleep. (Just to be safe, make sure the specialist you see tomorrow knows about him being tired, yet restless.)

 

[BluOnyx]

He (and you!) have been through a lot in a very short period of time. "Too tired to sleep" is not just a human thing. Does he normally sleep near you? I would do the normal bedtime routine thing a little early tonight, and read or watch TV so you can check on if he's settling in before you actually go to sleep. (Just to be safe, make sure the specialist you see tomorrow knows about him being tired, yet restless.)

Yeah he sleeps with me every night. I put my arm around him and he either lays his head on my chest or uses my pillow. Been this way since the day I adopted him. I think only maybe 5 or 6 nights he didn't sleep with me. I will tell them just in case. Hoping he sleeps good tonight. He just had his last meal and ate it like a piggy.

 

[iPappy]

Yeah he sleeps with me every night. I put my arm around him and he either lays his head on my chest or uses my pillow. Been this way since the day I adopted him. I think only maybe 5 or 6 nights he didn't sleep with me. I will tell them just in case. Hoping he sleeps good tonight. He just had his last meal and ate it like a piggy.

See how he settles if you lay down and put your arm around him. It's so sweet that he sleeps beside you like that.
I've had my tortie since she was about 5-6 weeks old, and she never slept beside me like you described until she lost her companion. Those sleeping arrangements are special.
I hope he (and you) sleep well, and get good news tomorrow. We will be thinking of you.

 

[BluOnyx]

He slept with me, like usual. He fell asleep pretty fast and was doing his dream twitches. Woke me up when he got up to lay on the floor. I think he got warm but he came back. I woke up a lot but every time he was next to me. I know he really wanted to eat this morning but he needed to fast for his scan. He was sent to the clinic with his own food since he has a chicken allergy. They are squeezing him in since they were fully booked. I hope they get it done sooner in the day so he can eat. They know he has been tired and restless likely from stress and he has been drinking a lot of water.

I am staying positive. Every time my mind goes to a negative thought, I tell myself "no, he is healed and he will be fine".

I'll update the thread when I get some news. I hope he gets a lot of attention. I think he will since he is so loving.

 

[BluOnyx]

It is genetic heart failure. He isn't in any pain and will have to be managed. He could have months left, or years. They don't know but it is far along. My heart is breaking. One of my cats is very close to him and like me, he hasn't wanted to eat. I don't know what to do with myself right now.

I ordered some ubiquinol and he has medications he will need to be on. I tried to find something with stem cells to help but I can't find anything in my area. I feel helpless.