Just a ordinary trip to the vet? NO! UPDATE

[Laura's Babies]

Amy has been past due on her annual so I made her an appointment for this morning and scheduled Giz in since she hasn't been in a long time, usually just to ride along and keep Amy company. I had scheduled her last year but when the kennels came out, she ran and hid and I couldn't find her so she didn't get to go...

Being smarter this year, I have learned to leave the kennels out and I put one in the bathroom yesterday KNOWING what a potty pal she is and it worked like a charm. Everything went well until he listened to her heart. She has a heart murmur/cardiomyopathy? I almost started crying right there. He said it is a grade 3 which is serious... I think he said on a scale of 1 to 6, she is a 3..... (All this worry about Amy and it was Giz who is wose off?) I have to take her for a day and leave her so they can do blood work and other tests to try to find the cause, then possiably have to send her to LSU to the heart specialist there. I am SO outdone at this news. So blown away. He said the echo in her heart is pretty loud and the graduating LUS vet student agreed with him on that and it being a grade 3.

It is time to call on all my PT friends again. Anyone of you have any experience with this? What do I need to know? How bad is it? I am not up on this at ALL but am going off to search the web for what I can find...

The good news is, this new vet that had joined my vets staff HAS experience with CH, He has a friend with one that is a whole lot worse than Amy and he asked me a lot of questions about Amy. Does she play? How does she play? Does she get around good, does she eat good? What odd things she might do? He said Amy is in good shape! :D

I had Giz microchiped while there... Two more to go! I want all of mine done beacuse of what I learned during hurricane Katrina.

[catlover4ever]

Oh Laura, I'm sorry to hear about Giz.

Here is a good link to the cardiomyopathy.

http://www.homevet.com/petcare/felcardi.html


When Mark and I got married we adopted two cats...Tigger and her brother Tony. I only had Tony for 6 years, unfortunately he passed away from Cardiomyopathy because I caught the disease too late to do anything for him. I tried all that I could but it was not enough.

After Tony passed away I was scared to death for Tigger, my vet had told me that Cardiomyopathy could be a congenitial defect so he checked Tigger out for the disease. It turns out that she too has this disease. My vet told me that on a scale of 1-6 Tigger was a 2. I know it's not the same rating as Giz, but I want you to know that Tig leads a very normal, good, healthy life.

Giz should probally be started on her meds ASAP.

I will keep Giz in my thoughts and prayers (((hugs))) --- Meg

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Oh no.... poor Giz..... :(
Please start his treatment asap, even if they tell you to wait! This is the disease that my Sydney had:"FELINE HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY" They told me to wait with medication and come back 6 months later. But he died 4 months later.... .
Sorry, I didn't want to scare you, but it is necessary to act, so I wanted to tell you about my Sydney! Feel free to read his story on my web-site!

I did some googling for you:

http://members.aol.com/jchinitz/hcm/definitn.htm

http://dsl.org/hcm/

http://www.acay.com.au/~j-kivits/feline.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertrophic_cardiomyopathy

[jazzcat]

Oh Laura, I'm so sorry. I have no experience with this but it sounds like others have and can give you good advice and resources.

(((HUGS)))

[Lizzie]

I empathize with you about Giz, what a blow for you. However, I can tell you that my Artful Dodger was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy when he was 9 years old and lived, on medication, to 16. If he hadn't developed both CRF and hyperthyroidism in the last year of his life, he'd probably still be with me. Hopefully, you are both going through the hardest part of this right now - finding out, having tests done (I was terrified during Dodger's since he had to be sedated), but then you should be able to put him on medication and enjoy the rest of the years you have together.

I'm hoping for the best for both of you.

[Laura's Babies]

I knew I could count on my PT friends for education and comfort! I was just so shocked that I paniced and lost it. He is going to test her for things that are treatable; heart worms, hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure and I think something else. She is such a wonderful girl, so amusing and beautiful. I am now wondering if this is why she has taken to hidding in cabinets a lot. But she is still so darn playful all day.. Lets' hope it has been caught in time that we can reverse or treat it will have no ill effects for her.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/BeautifulGiz.jpg

[Donnaj4962]

Oh Laura, I am so sorry to hear about Giz! My girls and I are sending lots of prayers and warm wishes your way that Giz will get some medication and get better soon. She is just adorable! I love her markings!

It is always such a shock to hear such words, but know that your PT friends will be by your side to help you in any way that we can. I have no experience in dealing with this (other than having a heart murmur myself) but I see that many others have offered some website suggestions for more information.

Please keep us posted!

[CalliesMom]

Callie, too, has a heart murmur and we are not sure what causes it. It was diagnosed back in February and then we put her on medication for hyperthyroid. She got sick quickly there after from eating her toy and we have not put her back on anything since she was so borderline anyway. I have to take her to the vet school here and have her checked out in September.

Believe me, I understand how it feels when I got the news. I started crying immediately..my poor vet didn't know what to say. Callie is very active (nawtee!) and you would never suspect anything is wrong with her. She was on scaled to a 3.

I don't know what to say but I understand exactly how you feel. It is so hard to see our babies ill and not knowing how to fix it. My prayers are with you and let us know as soon as you know something!

[CultureJunky]

Jack & Sunny send lots of meows, paws and hugs to Giz and wish a speedy recovery. I hope the tests all go well and the problem is sorted out soon and Giz can lead a happy, healthy and normal life wit h you. I am sure that Giz has the best person to care about her.

[catmandu]

The Found Cats,Porch Ctas and Our Angel Dog all send thier Prayers to Giz that she will be All Right and that the White Coats can help her.

[Laura's Babies]

Callies Mom... Thanks for the hope and encouragement from another gauge 3 Mom.. This releases that feeling of doom for me that I have had since that visit.. My eyes did fill and I wanted to bawl but I KNEW I had to listen and not fall apart if I was going to be informed. He came and talked to me some more as I was checking out, I think he saw I was shaken with the news and gave it time to sink in and the shock to wear off. That is when he told me the most of it, about what they would do when I leave her there, about the specialist at LSU that she could see and what he would do..

Question.. HOW IN THE WORLD do they take a CAT'S blood pressure?

She has displayed absloutely NO signs of anything being wrong with her so I am hopeful now that we got it in time and there is no serious damage.

Thank all of you for the links that I have checked out and your experience and support... I feel SO much better (I think....)

[Grace]

Our Darling Duffy was diagnosed with a murmur several years ago. All labs, including Thyroid, were normal. Next came the cardiac ultrasound. The Cardiologist brought Duffy back to us with a big smile on his face - Duffy's murmur is brought on by stress. He gets put in the carrier, goes to the Vet and he gets stressed. That's all.

I wish for you a similar outcome.

Duffy Darling -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/March16th/IMG_0220.jpg

[Laura's Babies]

WHAT A BELSSING that would be for Giz and your Duffy is truely blessed!

[jenluckenbach]

Laura, I do not think a 3 is a death sentence. Willow and Fern both have grade 3 murmurs and they are both the type that stress very easily. I have not had to do anything special for them except keep an eye out for labored breathing or other shortness of breath. They have never had any trouble at all and are 2 of the healthiest cats of the bunch.

So, YES, of course, have the tests done, hit all the bases, but do not panic.

Prayers for Giz.

[kuhio98]

Laura ~ Please don't worry so. Even with a heart murmur Giz can live for many, many years. Pepper's murmur is a 6 -- the worst possible. Nothing can be done to repair it. No medicine will help. How does this impact Pepper?

Well, she's the only cat we've ever had that leaps from our balcony to the roof.
She jumped down from the 2nd story balcony to the roof of our van and then ran into the back yard (twice!).
She walks the top of the neighbor's 10-foot chain length fence.
She climbs towels hanging on the bars and leaps to the top of the shower curtain rod or to the top of any available door.
She fearlessly protected 'her' yard when Princess (the very un-Princess-like kitty from across the street) came to visit. Princess is about 20 pounds. Pepper is 6. She cleaned her clock! and Princess hasn't wandered across the street since!

She is almost 4 years old now. I do notice that she sleeps harder now. You know? Like little kids? They play and play and play and then can just drop and be in a deep sleep. But, about 20 minutes later, she's up and running full speed again. So, don't worry so much. Take a lesson from a cat. They don't seem to worry too much (we do it all for them)! :p

[Laura's Babies]

WHOA! What a LIFT!!! Kuhio, what a lift off my worried heart! THANKS! I am feeling better all the time!

[catfamily]

There are so many different kinds of heart problems.Not many are the same.Winston had the absolute worst.ENLARGED heart.Nothing to do but some heart meds to prolong it a little.
My Lucy has a heart problem but it is a leaky valve.I was told she will live a full normal life.No meds for her.It would be bad for her heart if she took meds I was told.So ALL are different.
I'm so sorry for your worries.Please keep us posted.I want to learn too.
Lucy has a heart murmer.Winston had a heart murmer.Both very different.

[Sevaede]

**********HUGS**********

I am so sorry. :( I have no experience with it either but have read about it. If you'd like, I can type up the page from my book for you.

[Laura's Babies]

No need for you to go to all that trouble.. The answers I got here have made me feel so much better. I was freaking out because we rectently lost a PT kitty that I was very close to with heart disease and I..... well, you know what I jumped the gun and thought. I feel better now, knowing it is not a death sentance for her.

[momcat]

Oh Laura, prayers and hugs for you, Amy, and Giz

[rg_girlca]

Oh Laura, I am so glad to read that you got some good advice and comforting words from those who have experienced this and it brought comfort to you.

You and beautiful Giz, will be in my prayers.

((((((HUGS))))))

[Laura's Babies]

Yes, rg... That is why I brought it directly to my PT family... I knew someone would have experience with this but I didn't expect so many positive stories and to have my worries made so much lighter so fast! ( A very GOOD thing!)

Giz goes this morning for her first round of tests! I drop her off in a little while (IF I can catch her), I pick her up this afternoon and then wait...... Argggg!
He said some results will be immdeiate, and some we have to wait for, blood work takes awhile.

[catfamily]

Are you willing to get an ultra sound to make sure it isn't enlarged.The vets can't know that without an ultra sound.My vet in Massachusetts sent me for one for both Lucy and Benson.Both were a 4.But Lucy's ultra sound showed a leaky valve..no meds and will be fine.
Winstons showed enlarged and hardening around the outer edge of the heart.
Winston was the most active as far as jumping high on things and never feared any kind of jump and played harder than the rest of my 11 cats.Slept harder than the rest though.Eventually slept too much and became extremely weak.
But being both a #4 as to the heart murmer #'s,they were both very different.One was dying,the other fine.

I wanted to add that getting an ultra sound is expensive and it won't make to much a difference on your cats life,unless meds are needed.So don't feel guilty if you can't do it.It's pricey.If she seems OK then maybe you could just watch her for a while and do an ultra sound when changes in her happen.

[Laura's Babies]

Hummmm.... (been gone today and will have to go out again)

I am going to wait for the results of what they do today BUT.. If these show nothing, I am sure I WILL go to the next step.. I enjoy her TO much to just ignore anything that could help her. I have never had a cat like her, so full of mischief and such a CLOWN that she is the most entertaining cat I have ever known... Not to mention how her beauty takes my breath away. My income tax refund is sitting right here on my desk and it was going to go into savings but if I need to spend it on HER... I WILL! To me, she is worth it!

[Laura's Babies]

All tests that he could get results for today came back fine so now we wait for the blood work.. Sound like she will be put on medication when that comes back.... For whichever that shows...????

Oh, he said the day after he saw Giz, there was another that he found and they decided to do nothing....

[rg_girlca]

I'm glad to hear that all the tests results were fine. Now, I will be waiting on pins and needles for the results of the blood tests.

Prayers still on the way for Giz and ((((((HUGS)))))) for you Laura.

[Lizzie]

My Artful Dodger had an ultra-sound so that we knew exactly what we were dealing with. They had to bring in a specilist to the vet hospital, so it was pricey but, even with the bad news, I felt better because the results were clear.

It always astonishes me when people do nothing. I simply couldn't sleep at night and I certainly couldn't look that cat in the eye. My tax return went on Nougat, for her radio-iodine treatment. It should have gone toward new crowns that I've been needing for years, but I'm quite mad just like all the other PT'ers.

I am glad that you are feeling better overall with Giz's prognosis.