Cat - fluid on the lungs and heart failing

sexki11en

Hi Guys,

Took our baby to the vets this morning as her breathing was a bit out of sorts. Ended up being told she has fluid on the lungs and her heart is giving up

She needs an x ray but is too weak to stand a sedative so we were sent home with medication and told to phone this evening. We did as there was no change and were told not to bring her in as the stress of the car journey could finish her off

Does anyone have any experience of this with a happy ending? I don't want to loose my baby.

SK x

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhh, SK so sorry to hear your baby isn't well.

I've no experience of this type of thing so can't provide any advice - but keeping my fingers crossed.

Apricot

Sorry no advice but hugs xxx

Elle7

Do the vets think the fluid on the lungs is causing her heart to fail, or is it a symptom of her heart failing?

Many dogs/cats with heart failure end up with fluid on the lungs, but it's usually quite late in the disease in my experience. Whether they can move the fluid depends on whether your cat is in a fit state to undergo procedures and trial medications, which it doesn't sound like she is at the moment. Have they given you a diuretic? These often help in moving the fluid, and this should improve her breathing. Whether it improves her condition does depend on whether the heart failure caused the fluid - if it did, she'll need to be carefully monitored and her dose of diuretics changed often to keep the fluid off her lungs. You can be successful with this for a few years before it worsens, depending on how bad it already is.

Give her a stroke from me...I hope this has helped a bit. How old is she? All the best x

spike7451

Unfortunatly,I do.

Orbit was diagnosed with the heart problems in September 2008 iirc & was put onto Fortekor pills then in December he was having trouble breathing,he'd put on a little weight which I put down to him being a house cat,anyway I took him to the vet who diagnosed him with fluid on his lungs & he was then put on a diaretic tablet.This worked & his quality of life was stable.The following June he was put on another diaretic & I went away on my annual TA camp in July.
When I got back the weight loss over the two weeks was dramatic!! He still was active & not suffering.
However in September he took a turn for the worse,he couldn't poo properly & his back end was wobbly.I took him to the vet who tried a couple of things to get him to poo but no joy.
The last night,I lay awake with him next to me on the bed & I'd made the painful decision to relieve his pain.The little git had other ideas tho & at 0755,he jumped off the bed & went into the hall where he had a massive fit & died.That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do & see.Watching him go was on par with watching my father die in hospital.
He had a good quiality of life up until the end,got the best food & love & I still miss him terribly two odd years later.
I've posted photo's of him before & after I went on camp,not to distress you but to make you aware of what these tablets can do.My view is that as long as he's a good quality of life & isn't in pain,then you should give puss every chance of life.

sexki11en

Elle7 wrote: »

Do the vets think the fluid on the lungs is causing her heart to fail, or is it a symptom of her heart failing?

Many dogs/cats with heart failure end up with fluid on the lungs, but it's usually quite late in the disease in my experience. Whether they can move the fluid depends on whether your cat is in a fit state to undergo procedures and trial medications, which it doesn't sound like she is at the moment. Have they given you a diuretic? These often help in moving the fluid, and this should improve her breathing. Whether it improves her condition does depend on whether the heart failure caused the fluid - if it did, she'll need to be carefully monitored and her dose of diuretics changed often to keep the fluid off her lungs. You can be successful with this for a few years before it worsens, depending on how bad it already is.

Give her a stroke from me...I hope this has helped a bit. How old is she? All the best x

Thanks Elle,

She's only 9 - or as the vet called her - middle aged. They have no idea at the moment what's causing what. There has been no improvement overnight so we're taking her in now for the vet to see whether she's strong enough to be sedated for an x-ray.

I just hope we've caught it in time - she hadn't told us she was ill (their temperament usually changes doesn't it?) and I feel so bad we didn't spot it sooner. The worst thing for us is we were away from Wednesday last week until Monday - the cat sitter didn't mention a thing and it was noticeable when we got back

Ok, so lets see what the vet says this afternoon...

Thanks for all the support guys. Non animal owners just don't get it do they?

SK x

sexki11en

Awwww Spike, Orbit was beautiful! They are such little git's sometimes aren't they!

We'd geared ourselves up to loose our eldest recently -he's 15 now and getting a grumpy !!!!!! lol. He's loosing a lot of weight even though the vet says he's healthy, he's old. It's such a shock for this to happen to our little miss at only 9. So suddenly too

SK x

rising_from_the_ashes

Keeping everything crossed for your trip to the vet this afternoon.

Please don't beat yourself up - animals are masters at not letting us know they're unwell, until they're "really unwell".

mancbird

Aw, I don't have any experience of this but just wanted to say hope your little miss gets better soon xxx

Elle7

sexki11en wrote: »

Thanks Elle,

She's only 9 - or as the vet called her - middle aged. They have no idea at the moment what's causing what. There has been no improvement overnight so we're taking her in now for the vet to see whether she's strong enough to be sedated for an x-ray.

I just hope we've caught it in time - she hadn't told us she was ill (their temperament usually changes doesn't it?) and I feel so bad we didn't spot it sooner. The worst thing for us is we were away from Wednesday last week until Monday - the cat sitter didn't mention a thing and it was noticeable when we got back

Ok, so lets see what the vet says this afternoon...

Thanks for all the support guys. Non animal owners just don't get it do they?

SK x

Hey,
I'm glad she's relatively young, that gives her a better chance by far. Is she still eating well?

The cat sitter may not have noticed things you have - I think every owner knows her cat, but your cat sitter might not have known what to look out for. Do you know if they have their own cats?

Anyway, I hope things go well for you today. The X-ray should reveal if there is a problem with one of the heart valves - if there is, this will be the cause of the fluid on the lungs. In the case, vets tend to be straight with owners and say that sometimes the odds aren't good. That said, on heart medication and also a diuretic, cats can do very, very well. Not all cats will cope with all medications, so if you do notice weight loss etc, speak to your vet again. You can also get foods which are specially formulated for heart problems, although these aren't really necessary - just avoid giving your cat too much salt, which can cause problems, and plenty of 'healthy heart' type fish is always good.

I really hope everything goes well, and she's back to her old self soon. Please let me know how it goes, or if I can help anymore.

E x

DebiT

sexki11en wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Took our baby to the vets this morning as her breathing was a bit out of sorts. Ended up being told she has fluid on the lungs and her heart is giving up

She needs an x ray but is too weak to stand a sedative so we were sent home with medication and told to phone this evening. We did as there was no change and were told not to bring her in as the stress of the car journey could finish her off

Does anyone have any experience of this with a happy ending? I don't want to loose my baby.

SK x

Hi,
So sorry to hear about the poor lamb.
Looked the following up on the petwellbeing website earlier, I've copied and pasted as I dont think we can do links. Dont know if it will help, but all the very best..................
"Some medications that are used to treat feline cardiomyopathy include diuretics, cardiac glycosides, and vasodilators. Diuretics increase the excretion of fluid, thereby reducing the accumulation of fluid that often occurs when a cat is suffering from heart disease. Cardiac glycosides affect the actual heart muscle, slowing and strengthening its contractions and improving its efficiency. Vasodilators, on the other hand, improve circulation and blood flow, reducing the strain on the heart, allowing it to function more easily. Dietary adjustments may include restricting sodium intake or increasing the amount of taurine in a cat's diet.
In addition to conventional medications, homeopathic remedies can be very beneficial with respect to improving heart function, reducing troublesome symptoms, and providing nutritional support. Homeopathic products contain natural ingredients with properties that target a number of different symptoms and irregularities. For example, substances such as balm of gilead and lobelia improve blood flow and circulation. Other ingredients such as mistletoe and hawthorn berries control tachycardia and heart rate and also relax spasms and reduce stress on the heart. Homeopathic remedies often contain a combination of such ingredients, in order to provide the most beneficial effect possible. If you are interested in using natural remedies to treat your cat's heart condition, consult with your veterinarian in order to ensure the selection of the most suitable form of treatment for your individual pet."