UPDATED: Bad news..I think Ivy is going to the whitecoats :(

[buttercup132]

I've noticed since I got him that he acts like he has a hairball which could very well be true from grooming the other cats. But he also has a very weird purr that sounds like he's screetching and makes a crackling noise. He can't manage to purr without having his mouth open too.
I attached a video of his purr.

[caffeitina]

Poor Ivy! I hope it's nothing serious. Although it could just be he has an unusually loud purr. Ever since my Luna learned how to purr, she's made sort of a coo-ing sound along with her regular purr (sometimes she's so loud you can hear her from the next room). The V-E-T said there's nothing wrong--it's just how she purrs. I hope it's the same diagnosis for Ivy and there's nothing the matter with him.

Keep us posted on what happens.

[Pawla]

Prayers are with you and Ivy. I hope he's okay. My Himalayan would "coo" and open his mouth sometimes, but I don't blame you for having him checked. Keep us posted!

[jennielynn1970]

Oh geez! I hope it's nothing serious, and just how he purrs! I'd be alarmed too!

[animal_rescue]

Lily has an odd purr too from when she was hit by a car a few years back. Now if she's upset or excited breathes loudly as well. The vet said she'll always be like that but it's not bothering her at all.

[shais_mom]

any update?

[Kalei]

Oh no, that is such an odd sound, never heard that coming out of a kitty before. I really hope that Ivy is okay and that its nothing serious

Please keep us updated on what you find out.

[Medusa]

It does sound weird. I hope all will be well.

[buttercup132]

So we went to the vet thinking ok this is probly just a URI..yea...far from it. I didn't really know what she was saying because she was speaking in vet mumbo jumbo (lovley how they do that) and she said he might have a polup(sp?), he has a severe heart murmor, he has clamitia (which great can be passed to us). He's currently on Antibiotics to clear the clamitia and she said if he has a URI it will clear that too but she doesn't think he dose. And now because of this sever heart murmor we have to do all these test, figure .
So she wants to do the following.

Hospitalization (1/2 day) $64.00
Radiography-set up $76.00
Radiography/plate 2 of them $94
In hospital collection services $27
CBC (cell blood count) $56
Full panel $93
T4 w/panel $47
Cystocentesis $46
Urinalysis-complete $59
Ultrasound-Cardiac with dropper $401.00
DNA test $148
Tax $57.78

That is all for heart murmor test...

Then for his throat she wants him to see a specialist which is to have more test done.

The first thing she asked before she told us about the possible things to do for him was do I want to keep him She said because it's going to be very costly. I was like um you are joking right? Of course I want to keep him!
So I'm not doing anything right now. I'm giving my boss the paper with the estimate on it and I think when I go to work at my vet we will bring him there and see what he says. The guy who owns the vet has been a friend of my boss and her mom for many years before the vet even got out of school so we know he won't jerk us around and make us do stupid test that are irrelevent.

All in all I'm pretty ticked at the lady who sold him to me who said oh there's nothing at all wrong with him (mean while on his medical record from her it says heart murmor suspected). I'll be e mailing her wanting a explanation and I will be e mailing the breeder that he's from and the breeder who owns the cat who sired him. The vet said the breeder should have known about this.

I'll probly add more later there was alot of information.

[jazzcat]

Oh no, I'm so sorry. Poor Ivy.

I do think the breeder/seller should have some explaining to do since they weren't up front about his murmur. Poor little guy.

[Catlady711]

Sorry to hear about your kitty.

Not all heart murmers are bad, Dusty has had one since at least 1997 that we know of and most probably since birth. She's now almost 17 and only this winter was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and put on meds for it.

The choices they are giving you with tests are the top end of possible care for your kitty. If you can afford it that's great, but not all people can. A second opinion for things that are going to be costly or things you just don't know for sure about is always a good option. After all, the cost of a second office call may save you money or give you another set of options to work with.

This is certainly not a professional opinion but only my own here. I think (if it were my kitty) some of that is prudent to do (CBC, T4, Full blood panel, X-rays-that's what I did for Dusty). That should be enough to evaluate whether she has any major organ failure, tumors or any other underlying problems. I don't know what doing a urinalysis would do for them given what you describe for symptoms, and even though an ultrasound is the best way to find out what's going on in the heart function, it seems a bit overboard for my own personal budget as well as the specialist. I repeat that as my own personal opinion.

[Pawla]

That's probably why the breeder said he wasn't good for breeding purposes. (Hope I have the right one??? ) Anyway prayers are with you and Ivy. I just LOVE both you hairless critters!

[buttercup132]

Thanks, my boss said most likley half of it won't need to be done. I hate how vets try and make it sound like if you dont get it done they will die. Thanks catlady for the advice I'll see what the other vet says to do.

Jazzcat yes I do too but my mom said there's nothing really she would have been able to say because she only brought the cat to the vet once which was Oct.3.05 and they said he has a heart murmor grade 1 now it's grade 3. Which also obvioulsy means he's not up to date in shots if he's only been there once and it was a year ago (or 2). I belive she told me he was up to date in shots. I guess it's not like I can do anything though other then get a apology..my mom said get her to take him back and get my money back but no way am I letting him go back.
I forgot to mention also I have to pay for all of this with my part time job. Which makes it even more stressfull.

That's probably why the breeder said he wasn't good for breeding purposes.

No he was fine for that, he was oringinally lined up for a show home but the people backed out. The only reason he was nutered is because the person who bought him bought him as a pet. I don't think any Sphynx breeder will let their kittens go un altered unless they sign a breeding contract with them and show them.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear about Ivy. I sure hope that he'll be okay. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent his way.

[Medusa]

By the time Yodie's polyp was removed, the part that was in her throat was the size of a silver dollar. My vet told me that he doesn't know how she lived as long as she did. He said "I couldn't breathe with something that big in my throat, could you?" Again, not trying to scare you, just prepare you because polyps can grow large and quickly. Special prayers being sent out and also that the breeder takes responsibility. She had to have known.