My sick kitties :(

[neko1]

Hi everyone, sorry I have been so distant lately.

Neko and Tama are doing quite poorly...

Neko has a heart murmur. The vet did some bloodwork to check his thyroid and the next step is an echocardiogram.

Tama has been ripping out all of his fur- we're not sure if it's behavioral or allergies. He recieved a steroid shot which has the possiblility of giving him diabetes but will calm down his shredding.

Sigh....it's bad enough that I no longer have cookie and pumpkin and now I have to deal with my boys not doing well....

:( :(

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I'm so sorry to hear your two remaining sweeties are having such problems. How are you doing these days? {{{hugs}}} to you and your babies. :)

[neko1]

well, I was doing really well until tonight :(

I'm getting settled in at my mom's..bought a bed and 2 dressers from Ikea. I'm still living out of a lot of boxes but am moving my stuff around little by little.

Hector has been wonderful to me. It feels so great to have something that I never had before, yet never knew what I was missing.

Could anyone who has dealt with heart murmur kitties be so kind as to give me a little info on it?

Thanks

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Glad to hear things are going well for you - you deserve it. :)

Unfortunately I don't know much about heart murmur kitties, but I do know there are several on here. If you do a search you might be able to find something until you get more responses.

I do know there are different levels of severity. Hopefully Neko's isn't so severe and it can be treated with medication. :)

[jazzcat]

I don't know anything about heart murmurs either but I do want to tell you how sorry I am that Neko and Tama aren't doing well. :(

[carole]

I am also sorry to hear the kitties are unwell, i just wanted to tell you my Ash was recently diagnosed also with a heart murmur, he is an older cat and it is not very bad, the vet just wants to check him in a while but other than that has given me no instructions, it depends it if gets worse, he may require medication, sorry i cannot be of much help , but know i also worry about my ole boy too, HUGS .

[shais_mom]

I don't know anything about heart murmurs in cats but I do send lots of prayers and healing wishes to the kitties and hugs to you!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

My experiences with heart murmur aren't very good.... :( . That is what Sydney had. I am glad he will get an echocardiogram, it is very important to know what causes the murmur. If it is the same disease as Sydney, get him on medication asap, even if the vet tells you to wait...!
You can read Sydney's story on my web-site if you like :)

[jenluckenbach]

I am glad to hear from you, but sorry that it is not all good news. :(

How bad is this murmur? Not all heart murmurs are equal. Willow has one and we do nothing and he is fine.

As for Tama........my (non-professional) opinion is behavioral. And probably due to the move. New environment, new people, old people gone, missing his 2 cat siblings........that is a whole lot to deal with at once.

[Kirsten]

I'm very sorry to hear that!

I also think that heart murmurs could have different causes, so I hope it will turn out to be something treatable.

And Tama: If it turns out her problem is behavioral, Bach flower remedies or Feliway may help her to adjust to the new place.

Kirsten

[CalliesMom]

Callie was diagnosed with having a heart murmur back in February. She had the echocardiogram and they noticed she has a leaky valve in her heart but she is healthy otherwise. We had her checked for thyroid and her T3 test came back borderline. She is going to the vet school cardiologist in September so that I can get further details on what exactly is going on with her. She seems healthy and acts just like she always has; eats like a horse, chases her brother all over my house, plenty of hairballs, etc. :p

I hope the kitties are okay. Not all heart murmurs are a death sentence. How is your kitty feeling? Is he acting normal? Take care and let us know!

[neko1]

I should find out the results of Neko's thyroid test today. Once I get the results from that, then I will schedule the echo.

He's been acting fine, in fact the only reason he went to vet last night is because he is due for his rabies next month and I figured I'd bring him in with Tama at the same time.

He's such a calm, cool, and collected cat when he's at the vet, I was wondering why she was listening to his heart for so long...now I know why.

I only got about an hour of sleep last night, my eyes are all puffy and my back hurts. I guess it was the initial shock of him having something wrong with him. I feel a little better today. There's nothing I can do right now, things will happen as they happen and me getting upset isn't going to solve any problems. I just have to take this one step at a time.

Thank you for all of your well wishes, I will keep everyone informed when I find out what grade the murmur is.

[catnapper]

I am so sorry to hear this! I hope things get better (((hugs)))

[catmandu]

We Are Sorry To Hear That Cookie And Pumpkin Are No Longer With You.
They Were Such Great Cats, We Rember Them Well.
We Are Praying For Neko And Tama , And You To Be Well.
And You Will See Cookie And Pumpkin In A Nicer Place.
One Fine Day.

[elminster20]

Your little ones are going to be ok, and so will you. Our thoughts are with you as you wait for the results (and after too of course).

[neko1]

Well Neko's bloodwork all came out normal. I am now going to set up his echo for hopefully Tuesday next week. I'm not sure where we go from there...

[Prairie Purrs]

My Angel has had a medium-grade murmur his entire life and hasn't needed treatment. He's five. He'll be getting an ultrasound soon because he needs some dental work, and the vet doesn't want to put him under before checking on his heart, but he's an active boy who hasn't been sick since he was a kitten.

[Russian Blue]

There's nothing I can do right now, things will happen as they happen and me getting upset isn't going to solve any problems. I just have to take this one step at a time.


That's the best advice since so much energy is wasted on the unknown. But I know it's very difficult not to worry. Sending many vibes that both Tama and Neko will get better over the following days.

I do agree that Tama is probably stressed from the move and new separation from the other cats. Look into the Bach remedies that Kirsten suggested.

[carole]

I was also going to say it does depend on the grade of the murmur, my Ashes heart murmur is very low grade and at the moment we are to do nothing, he also is going in for a dental clean, so it is an added risk unfortunately, but just wait for the results and try not to worry too much , i know easier said than done, thinking of you and wishing everything to be ok.