Chylothorax & Chest Taps

I am appealing to anyone out there who may have experience with the struggle of this condition. I have a seven year old Calico named Bandit who has been diagnosed with Idiopathic Chylothorax. We are now beginning the seventh week of dealing with this and undergoing chest taps every four days averaging the removal of approx. 135cc's of fluid each time. I'm administering 500mg of Rutin three times a day and praying it seems all the time that somehow she can beat this, but I must admit that it is now looking more and more hopeless. With the lack of practical experience in dealing with this condition as it is quite rare I am simply looking for guidance to whether or not my hopes are in vain.
There is nothing quite as distressing as looking into the eyes of one of your best friends, your child as such, who is otherwise happy and healthy, and constantly thinking about the decision to end their life.
When do you know that enough is enough and you should hope no longer?

Phaelen, sorry to see you here under such sad circumstances..But Welcome to Pet Talk. Have you researched that condition on the web? I went to Ask Jeeves and typed it in and THIS was first on the list.. Go read here.....

http://www.petoftheday.com/talk/show...threadid=33917

Here is a list from AJ to check out....

http://web.ask.com/web?q=Idiopathic+...ts&qsrc=19&o=0

http://users.pandora.be/bernardgabri...me_paraplu.gif to Pet talk, Phaelen!!
I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this painful situation. I cannot really give you info on this; but I want to tell you that we are all here to comfort you in this!! Take care!

I am very sorry to hear about your Bandit....
Buddy, who has a thread here with his Meowmie's user name being MySweetBoy, is also suffering from chylothorax right now. The thread is probably right next to yours here in the forum:( His Meowmie is sweet but very sad and perhaps the two of you could compare the information you have?

Hi Phaelen,

First, let me tell you how very sorry I am that Bandit is sick. I know what you're going through, as my almost 13 year old cat Buddy has the same disease. Secondly, never give up hope......where there is life, there is hope! However, if you feel that Bandit is suffering to the point of no quality of life at all, then you must make a decision. And this decision is a very personal one. Personally, I have chosen to keep Buddy home where he's comfortable, where he knows he's loved and where I know he'd rather be in the end. Last evening Buddy had to go for a chest tap. 225cc ( appox. 1 1/2cups) was removed. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Today he's a new cat....eating better, resting more comfortably and socializing....like a healthy cat....no.... but happier. And guess who's on my lap right now? My little cyber kitty, Buddy.
Phaelen, I noticed that the only medication Bandit is getting is the homeopathic, Rutin. Is this what your vet prescribed? I do know that one of it's benefits is helping with inflamation....but is this enough? Buddy gets 10mg of lasix every 12 hrs., 2.5mg of enalapril once daily, 1/2 of an 81mg asprin every 3 days, 250mg taurine (protein suppliment) once a week, 1 tablespoon of Nutra-Cal once a day and 1 tsp of cod liver oil when needed for constipation. Also, he is on a very strict water schedule. He can have all the water he wants in a 6 hour period....then the water comes up, then he is offered a drink EVERY 6 hours (then take it away) until the next 24 hour period....then it starts all over again. This in no way deprives him of liquid....he stays perfectly hydrated. The benefits of lasix and the water regimen help to minimize the rate at which the chest fills with fluid, thereby, taking fewer stressful trips to the vet. Our last trip was the 17th. Why did so much fluid come off this visit? Because I felt sorry for him and gave him more water. Bad idea!
Chylothorax is an incureble disease unless an underlying cause can be found and treated successfully. I hope I have helped some. Please discuss other medicine options with your vet. My prayers are with you and Bandit. Please keep in touch.

Linda

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...hlight=Bassett

I've posted these links for you because I had a cat with idiopathic Chylothorax. She ended up having a pretty extensive surgery. Please read through these threads, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

I found that the Rutin did not do any good.. in fact sometimes it seemed to make things worse. Bassett never took anything but Rutin; she took lasix for a short period of time and also prednisone but when no underlying cause was found those drugs really weren't necessary because they don't really help with the chylothorax. Bassett was lucky in that she didn't have a severe cough which seems to go along with the disease, so the prednisone wasn't needed.

Let me know if you need anything,
Naomi

Dear Naomi,

It sounds as though you know exactly what I am going through and I wanted to thank you for responding to my post. Right now I am so very very frightened that I am losing this battle and I find that I am so angry at the fact that no-one can tell me why it is happening, even more so that I am the mum, who is supposed to protect her and make her feel better. But I can't and I feel so helpless and frstrated. We are now finishing week seven of dealing with this with the chest taps happening every four days with an average of 135cc's of fluid being taken each time. The Rutin is being administered 3x/dy but I am having doubts whether or not it's of any good. I originally saw a surgeon regarding her condition but she was very doubtful that it would be an answer for my Band, like yourself telling me that there was only a 50% chance that it would work, or that it might come back in time. Also it sounded like such a horrific ordeal to put my Bandit through knowing it might not work at all. Also like yourself it would be a huge expense and I really don't know where I would find the money. As it is I am having problems keeping up with the costs, but thankfully I spoke with my vet today and she is willing to basically start tabbing me and letting me pay when I can. I have been with her for so long that she trusts me and for that I am thankful. I'm really scared right now that I am going to loose my little girl and it's become so overwhelming I'm not sure what to do or where to turn next. It looks as though next week following one of her chest taps we are going to do another unltrasound just so I can again see and know that we haven't missed something inside. I am very doubtful that we will find anything, but as I said before, I am at a loss of what to do and I sense that I am losing this battle. Any advice, referrals or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I sense that time is of the essence and I am quickly running out.
All my best and thank you again.
~Amanda

All I can say is I've been there. I can feel your panic, fear, and heartache inside me as if it is my own.

Listen, watch, and communicate very closely with your kitty, because only she will be able to really tell you what she needs. It sounds like you have a very close connection to her, as I did with Bassett. Bassett was able to communicate with me just with a look, or a small sound, or the flick of her ear. I can tell that you have a deep understanding with your kitty and even though it's dreadfully hard, try to calm yourself enough to know what SHE needs you to do for her. Bandit will tell you, and even though everyone always says it, it's true that you will know when the time comes.

Do you use MSN or AOL? Feel free to contact me if you do, and I can add you to my list.

My thoughts and prayers are with you,
Naomi

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Phaelen
[B]Dear Naomi,

It sounds as though you know exactly

Hi Phaelen,

How are you and your little Bandit making out. Has he had the ultra sound yet? I think of you both often and have prayed that the vet will find the underlying problem. Please keep in touch.

Linda

Hi Linda,

So far there isn't anything new. We had a chest tap this morning and retrieved about 125cc's which isn't to say there's more, but it may have pocketed. The vet was happy with that amount to hold her for a bit since we've been averaging about 135cc's every four days. It looks as though we're going to do another ultra sound next Thursday I think. I have to work but my vet has offered to pick Band up from the house (yes my vet has a key now) and then perform the ultra sound following the chest tap. The last ultra sound was near the beginning of all this and although they couldn't see any problems with her heart or lungs there still was a fair bit of fluid present. I want them to have the clearest view possible this time and go over it with a fine tooth comb. I would rather be present, one for Bandit's sake, and the other to make sure they take their time. But I have to work as it will be the last week of my work contract and right now I haven't been able to secure another. With the vet bills rising I need every dollar possible to see this through.
I wish I could say that I was feeling optimistic about all this, but the truth is I'm not. Somehow my instinct is telling me that they won't be able to find the underlying cause and it's just a matter of time before I have to make one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made. But for the moment Band is feeling very well and chattering a mile a minute downstairs so I had better go and see what she would like to discuss tonight!! God I don't want to loose her....she's the youngest of my four and this just isn't fair!! No matter how I try to find the answers I just can't seem to and all I want to do is to kick and scream and rain bloody hell upon something that is to blame for this.....bottom line is that it just hurst so much.
Thank you though for checking in on us, it truly does help. Know that you and Buddy are also in my prayers, wishing you strength and solace.
~Amanda

Just a little test to see if I've managed to include a pic of Band

What a GORGEOUS kitty!

Sending you lots of ***hugs***

Dear Linda,
I did want to take a moment and thank you for all the info you sent in regards to the various meds. I immediately contacted my vet about them and she went over everything quite extensively with me and to why she felt they were being used. Almost all were to help with a possible underlying heart condition. But because Band's heart seems to be fine she didn't feel that it was necessary nor want to create any other possible problems by medicating a condition that wasn't present.
But thank you ever so much. Any information, ideas or thoughts are welcome 100% of the time. In a situation like this I will research absolutely every avenue if it means even the slightest possibility there could be answers somewhere.
Please take care and keep me posted on how things are going at your end.
Thinking of you,
~Amanda

Quote:

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Originally posted by Phaelen
Hi Linda,

So far there isn't anything new. We had a chest tap this morning and retrieved about 125cc's which isn't to say there's more, but it may have pocketed. The vet was happy with that amount to hold her for a bit since we've been averaging about 135cc's every four days. It looks as though we're going to do another ultra sound next Thursday I think. I have to work but my vet has offered to pick Band up from the house (yes my vet has a key now) and then perform the ultra sound following the chest tap. The last ultra sound was near the beginning of all this and although they couldn't see any problems with her heart or lungs there still was a fair bit of fluid present. I want them to have the clearest view possible this time and go over it with a fine tooth comb. I would rather be present, one for Bandit's sake, and the other to make sure they take their time. But I have to work as it will be the last week of my work contract and right now I haven't been able to secure another. With the vet bills rising I need every dollar possible to see this through.
I wish I could say that I was feeling optimistic about all this, but the truth is I'm not. Somehow my instinct is telling me that they won't be able to find the underlying cause and it's just a matter of time before I have to make one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made. But for the moment Band is feeling very well and chattering a mile a minute downstairs so I had better go and see what she would like to discuss tonight!! God I don't want to loose her....she's the youngest of my four and this just isn't fair!! No matter how I try to find the answers I just can't seem to and all I want to do is to kick and scream and rain bloody hell upon something that is to blame for this.....bottom line is that it just hurst so much.
Thank you though for checking in on us, it truly does help. Know that you and Buddy are also in my prayers, wishing you strength and solace.
~Amanda

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Hi Amanda,

First of all, let me tell you what a beautiful cat Bandit is. I've never seen a cat marked like her. What an appropiate name. How is she feeling today? How are YOU feeling?
I know what you mean about the vet bills. I used a Christmas money gift to pay for the last visit. Fortunately, my mom has helped and my vet has been great about discounting. He's a real great guy and has never preyed on my sympathies. So many of them do, you know. I have often times felt like dollar signs walking though the door. But we take the bilking because we're desperate to get our little loved ones well.
Amanda, you can kick and scream and rain bloody hello :-) upon me anytime. I just might need you for a sounding board sometime. Take care Amanda, and try not to worry to much. I'm here if you need a friend.

Linda

Bandit is gorgeous! I hope you feel better, Bandit.