Unexpected Heart Failure :(

[allaberry]

Hi there. My 14 year old male kitty recently went through congestive heart failure which caused a clot in this heart which, in turn, caused him to lose function of the bottom of his right hind leg. This was completely out of nowhere...we thought he was choking and took him to the emergency vet where we were given the worst news possible. It has been a week since his clot and he is seemingly better but I had some questions for the group that I am hoping to get some advice on...

• advice on giving your cat pills...he HATES the pills he has to take and we are struggling...we have tried sneaking them into his food but he refuses to eat it...we tried pill popping them into his mouth but it is so difficult and we have some bites and scratches to prove it...last thing we tried was to crush the pill up and mix it with broth and use a syringe but that causes him to drool and half the medication comes out...any tips/tricks that you have found to work well?
• how do you know if your cat is in pain? they hide pain so well and I was told the medication is bitter and he will hate it so I haven't wanted to put him through it if it's not necessary
• anyone ever go through this and decide to take their cat to the cardiologist? the fees/costs are astronomical and we weren't given a good prognosis so I am not sure what to do about this one
• lastly, when he walks he drags his limp foot behind him and I am worried he will injure it further...any splints or advice on how to get him to hold the foot more upright when he walks so it's not just dragging

Any and all advice would be extremely appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Maurey]

Cardiologist trip is 100% worth it, imo. They’ll do an ultrasound of the heart and are best equipped to give you good advice. 14 is senior, yes, but if he’s otherwise healthy he has a few years in him yet

With the medication, check with your vet if it can be compounded into liquid medicine, or if you can powder it. If you can, add it to something superhigh value and smelly that he loves, such as a lockable treat, tuna water, etc.

For pain, I’d suggest studying the cat grimace scale. It’s a very useful tool, and there’s even an app.

No advice on the foot, I’m afraid, if you don’t think it would distress him, you could try and bandage the part of his paw that’s being dragged along. Did the vet advise limited mobility?

 

[fionasmom]

Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills – TheCatSite Articles
How Can I Give A Pill To My Cat – TheCatSite Articles

Welcome to The Cat Site! Definitely see a cardiologist. You may find that they are able to cut to the chase and develop a protocol for him more efficiently and safely than your regular vet. The efficiently part also means that you may pay less money in the long run. Given that he is dragging the same (?) leg that was affected, the cardiologist might be able to help you with that as well.

My Jamie was dxed at a young age with HCM and was referred to a cardiologist. She took a very different approach to the one that his regular GP vet had taken. Any tests or imaging that was already done are your property and you have the right to take them with you to the cardiologist.

You are fortunate that your boy survived. I lost a younger cat to a clot several years ago, at home and instantaneous with no chance to react and try to get help for him.

 

[daftcat75]

Can you have the medicine compounded into an easier to give or more appealing formulation?

Search for your prescription here. If it can be compounded, have your vet call or fax in the prescription. Wedgewood will call to confirm with you what formulation you want. If the medicine needs refrigeration, Wedgewood can ship it in dry ice so it remains cold in transit. I would still have it delivered to a business like your vet's office rather than your home. Business deliveries are done first as they have to arrive during business hours. While residential deliveries are often delivered last.
Veterinary Pharmacy

 

[kittyprincesss]

daftcat75 makes a good point! I used Roadrunner Pharmacy for my daughters compounded Methimazole and Omeprazole. They offer chicken and tuna flavor, and maybe another one dont remember. They ship the same way and are very fast, and the staff is very kind.
https://roadrunnerpharmacy.com/

edit: They also send a free toy

 

[maggie101]

Totally agree! Compounding it in a liquid flavor and put in his food. For pills use churu or tiki tubes so the pill slides easily down his throat. Lift chin,dip pill in yummy tube,close mouth, and wait for it to slide down wear gloves!

 

[CakesCats]

I agree with the above about getting it compounded into either a flavored liquid or a transdermal form. Have you tried Pill pockets? My cat took his pill pretty well with them for several months then one day he decided he would never touch them again! For about a week I was forcing it into his mouth and it was TERRIBLE!!!!!! for him and for me!!!! His medicine is for anxiety and I felt like I was increasing his anxiety and my own by 1000! I am currently waiting for the prescription for a compounded form to come in(hopefully tomorrow), but I did discover a couple of nights ago that if I smush his pill into a part of a pill pocket and then smush THAT onto a regular larger size treat (it sticks fairly well) he will eat it. Maybe something to try until you can get another form?

Wishing your kitty lots of luck!!

 

[Caspers Human]

Our cat, Casper, is a recalcitrant pill taker and we have to give him a pill every day.

Casper's Girl-Human grinds up his pill in a mortar & pestle like this:

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When she gets the pill ground to a fine powder, she puts in a few pieces of Casper's dry food and grinds it all together. Then she mixes this powder into his food bowl and stirs it up so that every bit is coated with the medicine/food mixture.

Casper eats it right down and doesn't even seem to know the difference!

 

[Meowmee]

Hi there. My 14 year old male kitty recently went through congestive heart failure which caused a clot in this heart which, in turn, caused him to lose function of the bottom of his right hind leg. This was completely out of nowhere...we thought he was choking and took him to the emergency vet where we were given the worst news possible. It has been a week since his clot and he is seemingly better but I had some questions for the group that I am hoping to get some advice on...

• advice on giving your cat pills...he HATES the pills he has to take and we are struggling...we have tried sneaking them into his food but he refuses to eat it...we tried pill popping them into his mouth but it is so difficult and we have some bites and scratches to prove it...last thing we tried was to crush the pill up and mix it with broth and use a syringe but that causes him to drool and half the medication comes out...any tips/tricks that you have found to work well?
• how do you know if your cat is in pain? they hide pain so well and I was told the medication is bitter and he will hate it so I haven't wanted to put him through it if it's not necessary
• anyone ever go through this and decide to take their cat to the cardiologist? the fees/costs are astronomical and we weren't given a good prognosis so I am not sure what to do about this one
• lastly, when he walks he drags his limp foot behind him and I am worried he will injure it further...any splints or advice on how to get him to hold the foot more upright when he walks so it's not just dragging

Any and all advice would be extremely appreciated! Thank you!

Get to a cardiologist. Is he on a human blood thinner and did he receive treatments for clotbusting? Someone’s cat here received the treatment and survived and recovered from 2 saddle thrombi- A saddle thrombus is what causes the paralysis. They need to be on the human blood thinner which is now available to cats if the DVM writes a prescription for it. Aspirin and Plavix / clopidigrel will not prevent or treat future saddle thrombus. Yes that’s gonna be very costly but it can give your cat a much better quality of life for the rest of his life. Going to the cardiologist will determine how severe the heart disease is, they will do an echocardiogram.

So sorry you are going through this I have gone through this with two of my kitties.

Have you tried putting the pills in a gel cap, lubricating them and putting them at the back of his throat? Many of the meds can be compounded with a flavor to make it easier but the pilling is better with the gelcap to avoid drooling etc. from the taste. Did you try crushing them and putting them in very stinky tasty food? Some cats will eat it that way but you usually have to put it in small amounts or some thing like a tuna etc. churu or a lickable treat. Some meds can be transdermal but they don’t usually absorb as well. As for a painkiller gabapentin may work if he is really in pain, none of my cats who had heart failure were put on painkillers though. Gabapentin is tasteless so you can just sprinkle it from the capsule onto the food and the majority of cats will eat it that way.

 

[Flybynight]

A allaberry
Hi,
Sorry to hear about your boy.
I would watch some YouTube videos on how to pill a cat. They helped me. You need to pill from behind while your cat is on a raised flat surface such as a table. Tilt the head back, pop in with one hand while opening the mouth with the other. If your cat backs up he backs up into you. He should be in a sitting position while you give the pill.
I give one of my cats tablets daily - he had heart failure.
Have a routine and give a treat or favorite food after pilling. It helps the tablet go down and he gets a treat of tasty food or a snack. So best to do at meal times when he is hungry.

A gelcap is good and if your vet says they can be given together you can add more than one pill in a gel cap. Use the smallest gel cap you can for the pills. If any pills are bitter tasting - make sure you wash your hands before giving the pill if you have been handling it before putting it in the gel cap.
I have heard good things about flavored compounded pills as well.

Also important to know the cause of your cats heart failure. In an older cat that may be from issues with the thyroid and blood pressure. Have those been checked?
Treat those and another attack is less likely if they happen to be a factor.

About pain, cats will often hide and not eat when in pain.