Conference misery::feline

    One of my friends has two (unrelated) cats that both have
    cardiomyopathy. Neither has thrown a clot (they are on asprin as a
    preventative). But, I know how much she worries about them. Her boys
    have Dr. Neil Harpster at Angell Memorial as their cardiologist. 
    
    
    I hope Domino is gets better.
    
    Deb

What is meant by "throw a blood clot"?  Does this just mean that a
blood clot somewhere in the circulatory system has become freed to
move through the system?

Leslie

    Re: .2
    
    Yes, and the clot lodges some place and blocks or partly
    blocks blood circulation there until the clot is dissolved.
    

    Cats with cardiomyopathy commonly throw clots.  I work at the ICU at
    Tufts & we are always treating cats with saddle thrombi.  The most
    common place for a cat to end up with a clot is at the end of the aorta
    just as the vessel splits to supply the branches to the rear legs.  They end
    up with very painful hind end paralysis due to the lack of blood supply.  If
    caught early enough, this can be treated with heparin or streptokinase,
    or in severe cases it can be treated with surgery.  Unfortunately, even
    when you get the cat past the initial event, they commonly reoccur. 
    However, there are preventative meds available (I'm sure your cat is
    already on them) to try and help reduce the risk of this happening. 
    
    When a cat has cardiomyopathy, blood commonly gets pooled in areas that
    it normally doesn't in the heart due to the difference in the flow
    dynamics.  Unfortunately, there's a pocket in the atrium of the heart
    (normal & abnormal hearts) that is a perfect place for this blood to
    pool & form clots.  Once it breaks free from this little pocket, it's
    free to travel anywhere.
    
    I know it's hard to hear the option of euthanasia.  But Dr. Brown is a
    wonderful, caring doctor - he's so great with the animals in the
    hospital & really roots for them.  If he's discussing euthanasia, it's
    probably because he's seen so many poor outcomes.  You're right, I know
    it's hard to want to go on & to even hear anything else, it sounds like
    everything relates to money, but if you can, try and remember that they
    are also referring to what may be a real alternative that you may have
    to start considering for your cat in order to avoid future suffering. 
    I'm not saying that your cat is in that position, but I just wanted to
    reassure you that Dr. Brown is really a very compassionate doctor &
    really will try his hardest and go all the way for your cat.  
    
    Also, unfortunately, many clients do have to be concerned about finances 
    when they get to the point that they're at Tufts, so it's really something 
    that the doctors are required to talk about.  It's sad, I know, to think 
    that the life of your pet would come down to the question of money, but 
    unfortunately for many of the clients that come to Tufts (or any hospital) 
    it has to be a real part of any conversation concerning treatment.  I'm
    sure we all hope for the day that this isn't the case.
    
    I wish you & your cat the best, I hope everything works out.  It's nice
    to know that there are such caring owners out there like yourself.
    
    Best Regards,
    liz

    This note has been keyworded CARDIOMYOPATHY.  You can find more 
    information on Cardio in the following notes:
    
    	 29.2 	Disease Information
    	138.0	Cardiomyopathy
    	416.38	Tales of Mary Tamirs rescued cat with Cardio
    	948.0	New Information on Cardiomyopathy
    
    Jan
    Moderator, FELINE

    I know (as all of us) how much a cat can mean to one. I wish you all
    the best with Domino, paws crossed.
    Nat

Sabrina is not doing well at all. Lat week her hind leg went lame and when we
took her to the vet we also found out she has an over active thyroid, which
is why she's lost so much weight.  They gave me a prescription for that.
She stayed pretty quiet and content.  Sunday morning she seemed to be a little
better, even trotting around a little.  When I got out of my shower, around
5, Steve told me Sabrina couldn't walk and was dragging her front left leg,
last week it was the rear leg.  He carried her down to the couch.  I called
Central Animal hospital and Dr. Butler agreed to meet me.  She says it doesn't
look good and thought Sabrina had a blood clot.  She gave her fluids, and also
some Heparin.  She wanted me to leave her there so she could rest quietly
without the other two cats bothering her but when I told her I could put
Sabrina in her own bedroom she let me take her home.  Steve took her back
yesterday to the vets and she had to stay all day. When we picked her up I
found out she has cardiomyopathy.  She'll have to see a heart specialist
on Friday and will be spend all day today at the vets again. :-((((((

She's a grand old lady, almost 17 year old Tonkinese, she's had a wonderful life
and I will not let her suffer or go through major surgery at this point in life.
I *hope* it can be treated with medication.  It's so sad to see her this way
and I feel so helpless.

Laura

    I think you were right to have her rest at home, I know my cats
    get depressed at the vet's.  As has perhaps been mentioned in this
    string, there are different kinds of cardiomyopathy and differing
    outlooks.  Please post about what the Friday doctor says, hugs,
    
    Karen
    

	Thanks Karen, I've been reading about CM in this file and will keep
        you posted.

	Laura    

    My friend Pam has two cats with CM; treatment is 1/2 a baby asprin
    every other day, and another drug once a day. 
    
    If they can thin out the blood clot, your cat has an excellent chance.
    
    Deb

	I am very, very sorry to say that Sabrina did not make it.  We
had to have her put to sleep last night.  She wouldn't eat, wouldn't respond 
at all, was just urinating where she lay.  I think she was just too old and
had no desire to live anymore.  Dr. Butler said we could either take her home
and she'd be dead within 2 days, or we could put her to sleep.  I couldn't
see taking her home to suffer and did the kindest thing for her, but it hurts 
terribly.

Laura

    Laura..  so sorry to here about Sabrina.  My heart is with you
    during your loss.   I have also lost a kitty to Cardio who was only
    2 years old...and within one day he was sick, diagnosed with cardio,
    and passed away.   
    
    I personally beleive you made the best decision for Sabrina...I
    have seen many kitties go through "hell" the last few days after
    they threw a blood clot...and I do believe you saved Sabrina alot
    of suffering. 
    
    Hugs to you...
    
    Sandy 

    Laura,

    My deepest sympathies on your loss - I've added Sabrina's name to the
    SLM listing......

    Debbi

    Laura,
    
         My deepest sympathies on your loss of Sabrina.  A lot of our angel
    kitties will be at the Rainbow Bridge welcoming her ...
    
    					- Andrea
    					  Bigfoot, Loki & Midnight
    

    A tough decision, but the right one! Kitty hugs!
    
    Sari

Thanks so much for the support and loving words.  I'm sitting here with turtle
eyes and streaked cheeks.

Sabrina was the only one of my three cats that I would let sleep with me, and 
I'd reach out and pet her through the night.  I saw her this morning when I woke
up, in the laundry basket, her little head and perk ears sticking up.  When
I turned the lights on, I saw it was two socks with points sticking up and
just the same spacing and size of Sabrina's ears.

I don't know what Gypsy is going to do now.  Sabrina is the one thing in this
world that he truly loved.  I'm kicking myself for not taping  them  on the
camcorder, twirling around each other and grooming each other.  I know I'll
always have the memory, but maybe I'll learn for the future not to procrastinate
like I did. 

Laura

    
    About 10 years ago, I lost my little brown tabby girl Miss Monkey to
    congestive heart failure.  One day she was fine, the next she couldn't
    take more than a few steps before having to rest.  She arrested while
    being examined at the vet, and couldn't be revived.  She was 9 years old.
    The autopsy (because her death was so unexpected) disclosed cardiomyopathy.
    For a long time afterwards I continued to catch glimpses of her in her
    favorite places.  Of the three cats I had at the time (her sister
    Wabbit, who lived to age 17, and Merlin, who's still with me), she was
    the most overtly affectionate, and losing her left an enormous hole in my
    daily routines.  And it seems to hurt more when their lives are so
    short.
    
    But I'm sure Monkey and Wabbit are both frolicking with Sabrina this
    morning.
    
    Even though we've been through it ourselves, even the sincerest condolences
    seem so inadequate.  But it does teach us to treasure every moment with
    these marvelous creatures who let us be a part of their lives.
    
    len.   

    
    I am so sorry to hear about Sabrina.
    
    
    Eva

    I'm so sorry about Sabrina. 
    
    Deb

Len, you're so right, and I do treasure each moment with all of them...except 
maybe when Buki chomps down on my hand unexpectedly as hard as he can.

Eva and Deb, thank you.  I know everyone in this notesfile has tremendous 
compassion when someone loses one of their loved furfaces, and it really does 
help.  Thank God for cat lovers!

I'm not ready now, but I've been wanting another kitten around the house very
badly for the past few months, now I'll want one even more.

Laura

    I'm very sorry about Sabrina.  I know you did the right thing
    in sparing her needless suffering, and I know how incredibly hard
    it is to make that decision.  A big electronic hug from me and my
    kitties,
    
    Karen, Sweetie, Holly, Little Bit, and Blackie, and now at the
    Rainbow Bridge playing with Sabrina, Pussycat and Tommy.
    
    I have a meeting in half an hour and I have raccoon eyes now
    too...
    

    Laura, I'm so very sorry about Sabrina.  You made the right decision 
    for her.  
    
    Faith

    This decision is one of the hardest in the world.  I know because
    I had to make it with Bailey.  They let you know when it is time
    though.  
    
    I'm sorry for your loss.  I hope the beautiful memories will help 
    soothe you as you work through the grief.
              
    Jan