# Devastated right now



## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Devastated right now. Just back from vets where Dante still is. HE was found collapsed in the bushes they were trimming unable to stand and covered in flies. He couldn't stand and we have no idea what has happened. He is currently in an oxygen tank and on a drip and has had xrays that have revealed fluid on his lungs and his heart is enlargedHe is anaemic and on diruetics and they say he has heart failure. Sonow sat waiting for a phone call to say id he has improved or that they have had to have him pts as I have given my permission for them to do so as I dont want him to suffer at all.


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

Oh no Sam! Vibes for Dante *hug*


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## kim1989 (Feb 20, 2010)

Oh no, I hope he pulls through.

Prob not what you want to hear but do you think there was any chance he could've been run over?

I really hope he pulls through. My thoughts are with you.  keep us up to date with his progress?


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

THank you both we know he hasnt been run over but may of been poisoned which is a horrid thought as everyone knows Dante in the area as he is such a character.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Oh dear Sammy, I'm so sad for you! :sad:

I would question the enlarged heart though, because surely that wouldn't be caused by an accident or by poisoning. Has he ever had his heart x-rayed before - it could be congenital cardiomyopathy, which would explain the heart failure.

Do keep us updated with his progress, but I do agree that you have made the right decision regarding euthanasia if he doesn't improve. How long has he been missing or out??


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Im so sorry Sam, as Eileen says could he have had a previous heart condition? Fingers crossed you hear good news (((HUGS)))


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

I have no idea he has never had any sign of having anything wrong with him even though he has been regularly health checked. Eileen he hadnt been missing when he was let out at 9.30am this morning he was fine. I saw the xray they had taken and although you could clearly see his lungs were fluid filled but couldnt really make out much of anything else so can only go by what the vet said. I would of though if he had a heart problem it would of shown up before now. All i know is to see him not be able to lift his had up properly was heart breaking as he was trying to get a cuddle from me whilst he was in the oxygen tent and he had a look that said he had had enough, which is why i said for them to euthanaise him if he got any worse.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

sammy1969 said:


> I have no idea he has never had any sign of having anything wrong with him even though he has been regularly health checked. Eileen he hadnt been missing when he was let out at 9.30am this morning he was fine. I saw the xray they had taken and although you could clearly see his lungs were fluid filled but couldnt really make out much of anything else so can only go by what the vet said. *I would of though if he had a heart problem it would of shown up before now.* All i know is to see him not be able to lift his had up properly was heart breaking as he was trying to get a cuddle from me whilst he was in the oxygen tent and he had a look that said he had had enough, which is why i said for them to euthanaise him if he got any worse.


Not necessarily Sammy. My Havana was the picture of health and had had his primary vaccination check ups when they listen to the heart, his first 3 annual boosters and then during a routine examination the vet found a heart murmour. They did an x-ray and discovered he had an enlarged heart surrounded by fluid caused by congenital cardiomyopathy. This was about 4 months before his 4th birthday. He had an ECG which looked very promising and we put him on a special diet - loads of my friends told me they'd had cats with cardiomyopathy which had lived for years, but barely a month later I found him dead at the bottom of the stairs when I came home from work. It was so sudden (plus the fact that I had a litter of kittens in the house) that my vet suggested we do a pm, cos even she couldn't believe it had anything to do with his heart, but the result of the pm was heart failure. Until the vet found that heart murmur I'd no reason to think he was anything but rudely healthy, but he'd had that condition from the day he was born.


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Crumbs Eileen that must of been awful for oyu to find him like that. Your post has helped as i have been blaiming my self for not seeing any signs of illness in him and feel like i have let him down carewise. I am also worried Figaro may have the same problem if it is heart failure where they are half brothers and will it show up if he does. I also dontnow if it ill be fair on Dante to come home if he has to be confined for the rest fo his life due to the condition as he hates being inside for any length of time. I know i am all over the place with it right now and what is best for him


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Sammy - that's totally understandable, but believe me, cats can adapt to being kept indoors if you just persevere past the crying to go out stage and trust me Sammy you're not to blame, things like this can just happen. However, it doesn't necessarily follow that Figaro will have the same condition. Cardiomyopathy (if that is what it is) can be genetic in some breeds of cats, but it can also be congenital or idiopathic. As they are half brothers, if it is genetic, it may have been the father who passed it on, not the mother, so Figaro couldn't get it - do you see what I mean?

Here's a little section I've just found on a site for Cardiomyopathy and it tells you quite clearly that it's diagnosed most often in young cats between 1 and 4 years old, which is what happened to my Briagha.


> *Signalment* Cats of any age (3 months to geriatric), breed or sex are susceptible to developing this disease, though some cats appear to be at higher risk. This disease is diagnosed most often in young male cats (1 to 4 years of age). There is also a higher incidence within some cat breeds (Persian, ragdoll, American shorthair, Maine ****) where a hereditary basis for the disease has been found


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

THank you Eileen. I hope it isnt cardiomyopathy passed on by the father as that s the link they share but i have a feeling it may well be as when i spoke to the vets this afternoon he was doing a little better and had been removed from the oxygen tent and had even mananged to stand to have a little to eat and drink. However i was phoned at around 6.30pm I received a call from the actual vet treating him and the news was not great at all. THey have ruled out most things including someone attempting to drown or poison him, car accident etc. However for some reason his respiratory rate keeps increasing for no reason and the fluid on his lungs doesnt seem to be going either. They are treating him symptomatically as they do not know what the cause is but that he is showing all the signs of heart failure which is strange in such a young cat also he as lost alot of weight since he was last seen in November for his annual check up which i have put down to the house sitters i had when i was in respite car in August this year and their lack of care towards him which i did explain to the vets. Her last words to me were that he was nowhere near out of the woods and that she was shocked that he had lasted this long in all honesty but that they would do their best for him and repeat the xrays tomorrow to see if there was any change at all but not to get my hopes up as he is so ill. I feel so helpless right now and just want him to come home where he belongs


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

New update on Dante. He now has developed a fever and they feel he has pneumonia so have put him one iv antibiotics and steroids as well as diruretics and fluids. They repeated the xrays to day and he still has extremely fluidy lungs and enlargement of his heart and so they say they are also going to treat him for lung worm as a precaution to be on the safe side although they say it is more often found in dogs and is more an american thing lol.On the brighter side he is still eating a drinking a little when offered but still has along way to go. I have asked if it would be kinder to end his suffering and have been told all the time he is fighting they will not do so and I am not sure if that is the best thing but will abide by their wishes for the time being


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Sorry Sammy, that all sounds just horrendouse. Have you been to see him and assess him yourself??

Being totally honest, I'm not sure I would want to put my cat through all of that on a vet's say so, unless I was spending a reasonable amount of time at the vets, observing him and how he is behaving. Nobody knows him like you do.


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

They currently wont allow me to go and see him as it is the weekend and they only have emergency staff there but i am going to ask again tomorrow if i can visit and see for myself how he is or isnt progressing as i am not happy with the fact they say they wont euthanaise him as he is still eating and drinking. I am not sure them treating him symptomatically is really helping him in the long run and would rather end his suffering now than let it continue as much as i would like him to come home and be with us here. I also want to see the xrays for myslf to see what i can see even though i am no vet but i watch so many animal programs i know where the heart is roughly and how big it should be under normal circumstances and the sme with the lungs so hopefully that will give me more of an insight into his overall condition.
I have also been really over whelmed with all the well wishes and prayers i have coming in for him and for his quick recovery. I am having to post on 4 different pages on fb as well as on here to keep everyone updated on his condition and have had over 250 people and their pets give their love to me for him which is just amazing as i never realised so many ppl follow the antics of dante and the gang online and i cant thank everyone enough for it all including your self and everyone who has wished him well on here words just cant express my gratitude to you all


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That is such a shame, because surely they have nurses there?

When Charlie (the 3 legged Siamese) was in the vets for 3 months, they allowed Linden and myself to visit him at any time and stay as long as we liked, we had a sort of rota where if she couldn't go I would go (yet she always managed to turn up) or if she knew she could only go for half an hour in the afternoon she would ask if I could go for an hour at tea-time.

Consequently it was easy for us to evaluate him and his attitude to his enforced 'captivity' and the pain in his legs he was dealing with, together with the fact that he had strangers caring for him.


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Dante is now home i collected him from the vets as there is nothing more they can really do for him there. He is on all sorts of meds but he wasnt at all happy being in the vets and I would rather he was happy at home than stressed in there. He does have heart failure and they are hoping the meds will work but there are no guarentees, and he has to return on Friday to see how he is doing and if there is any improvements at all. His breathing is still irratic going from normal to laboured with no trigger at all. I am hoping wil gt mor einformation when i go back with him on Friday as to what the long term outlook is for him but for the time being I am just pleased to have him with me at home where he belongs. 
The vet bill is huge but could of been worse but he is well worth every penny and they have said i can pay it in instalments as i cannot afford it in one go which is a godsend.


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## kat134 (Oct 19, 2008)

Poor Dante  I hope he gets better :grouphug:

Look after each other


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

sammy1969 said:


> Dante is now home i collected him from the vets as there is nothing more they can really do for him there. He is on all sorts of meds but he wasnt at all happy being in the vets and I would rather he was happy at home than stressed in there. He does have heart failure and they are hoping the meds will work but there are no guarentees, and he has to return on Friday to see how he is doing and if there is any improvements at all. His breathing is still irratic going from normal to laboured with no trigger at all. I am hoping wil gt mor einformation when i go back with him on Friday as to what the long term outlook is for him but for the time being I am just pleased to have him with me at home where he belongs.
> The vet bill is huge but could of been worse but he is well worth every penny and they have said i can pay it in instalments as i cannot afford it in one go which is a godsend.


 
Poor Dante and poor you 

Does he seem happy in himself?


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

That is hard to say Shell if I am honest. I can say he seems alot more relaxed than when he was at the vets and he has eaten and drankinfact the first thing he wanted when he was released from his carrier was a drink which as per usual even though he had a new bowlful on the side he drank out of the jug of fresh water i had placed by the sink lol. He has also had some chicken and a few treats which he enjoyed, yes I am spoiling him a bit but he deserves it lol. His breathing is the main worry for me as it just increases for no reason even when he is just sat there, but he isnt crying or meowing at all and seems to be enjoying the fusses he is getting. He doesnt seem to want to move from the kitchen side though which is fine as i know he is capable of moving around should he want to as he ran out of the carrier and into the kitchen as if there was nothing wrong with him although you could tell after he was up on the side that it had affected him.


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

NO real improvement today with Dante but hehas justused the litter tray which is a firt for him and I can at least stop worrying aobut that as i hadnt seen him toilet at all up and I think is does seem a little more himself even though he is sleeping most of the time he did growl at Glyn earlier which I am hoping is a good sign as my own disabilities are beginning to kick in through lack of sleep.


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## EVIEMAY (Mar 6, 2008)

Just read your post Sammy - I am glad you have been able to nurse him at home

I hope he shows some improvement soon x


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

How's he doing today Sammy?


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Today Dante is a little bit more lively which to us is brilliant news he has actually moved form the kitchen side after knocking his jug of water over to my wheelchair in the living room which means we can keep an eye onhis breathing a lot easier but that is still very irratic and shows no sign of improvement. He has also meowed at us both today so seems a bit happier in himself. I can only hope this is a sign of him being on the mend properly but with him having heart failure I am truly not so sure but then i always was a worry wart when it comes to my babies.


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

sorry to hear about it, fingers crossed he makes a full recovery x


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That sounds more encouraging, but what are his chances of surviving heart failure - did the vets tell you?


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

No they havent Eileen and to be honest today he isnt eating and is alot more subdued again. He hasnt moved from the wash basket and actually turned his nose up at wet food today which is something he has never done before. I have to wait till friday for a full explanation of his long term diagnosis. I keep hoping he will bounce back to his old self but he isnt even interested in going out at all which really is out of character for him. Having said all that i have prepared myself as much as i can for bad news and if they say he isnt going to be his old bouncey self and isnt going to be happy and have a proper quality of life then i will do what is best for him and let him go as it jsutwouldnt be fair to do otherwise


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I agree - quantity is no good without quality. I'm just honestly failing to see what sort of quality he can have if he is suffering heart failure??


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Well this is my question and to be honest i am not sure he does or will. I wish i had osmeone close by who could give me a second opinion on it all and how he is acting and what it could hold in store for him as i have had differning opinions given. My only worry is him having a proper quality of life that is of paramount importance to me even though I know Figaro will not take his not being here very well at all but he is more important and how he is affected


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Ok Took Dante to the vets today and still basically in the dark with whats wrong with him and what his long term prognosis is. He still has fluid on his lungs and so is still on diruetics and he is to stay on his antibiotics for next couple of days. They have no idea what the underlying problem is or what has caused this episode. They are now saying that they are unsure if he has an enlarged heart but are saying he has had some form of heart failure but they cannot say why. They are not sure if it is being caused by a nuerological toxosis or something like that or a toxin or whether it is a congentital problem that has shown up early in him and I may have to get Figaro checked out for it as well once they can give a definate diagnosis. He has to go back again on the 2nd Oct to see how clear his lungs are and also to see if he can come off the diuretics.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

That's not very heartening news is it Sammy? :sad:

I don't know what to think to be honest. Have they done an FIP titre test, as dry FIP mimics the disease symptoms of the organ it attacks, so it's hard to diagnose?


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

feorag said:


> That's not very heartening news is it Sammy? :sad:
> I know i was so disappointed that they couldnt give me a proper diagnosis for him and what the long term may bring him.
> 
> I don't know what to think to be honest. Have they done an FIP titre test, as dry FIP mimics the disease symptoms of the organ it attacks, so it's hard to diagnose?


I have no idea what FIP is Eilleen. I dont think they did a test for this on him I only know that they did blood tests and ultrasound scan and xrays. THey are now saying the xrays may not show an enlarged heart but they don't want to say for sure. I personaly think they are just trying to cover all bases but not give me any real informationas they are in the dark which they did admit but they dont seem willing to do any more tests.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

The dry form is almost impossible to get a diagnosis on through testing and that's why FIP is a bitch of a disease.

You can read about it here Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

I see what ou mean Eileen and the worse thing is he has most of those sypmtoms i was speaking to a vet nurse friend and she also thought he might have it too although i must say today he seems alot brighter and has literally jsut attacked glyns hand for rubbing his tummy lol which he hasnt felt like doing for over a week. I am hoping he may be on the emnd but I am still going to ask for them to take the relevant biopsies to check for FIP just to be on the safe side


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## Lenor (Jul 24, 2009)

Have the vets offered you a referral for an echocardiogram? If they don't have anyone in the practice who's able to do one, then seeing if referral for one is an option would probably get you a definitive diagnosis on whether he has a heart issue or not. Things like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats are better diagnosed by ultrasound than X-ray.


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

NO I havent Lenor i havent really been offered anything other than the fact he is a mystery to them I am thinking of getting a second opinion from another vet tbh as I just need to know for his sake and mine what the problem is although he does seem a bit brighter in himself this weekend but still shows no interest in going out or interacting with anyone other than my neihbour last night who he jsut curled up on and wet to sleep with his head tucked under her arm.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

If your vets haven't a clue and basically don't know what else they can do, then I would say it's time to get a second opinion - otherwise all these tests could just be throwing good money after bad, if you know what I mean?


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Yeah I do Eileen and with a bill of over £600 at the moment and no sign of a proper diagnosis I really cant afford to keep throwing money at him if I am honest not on my benefits. AS much as he is worth every penny there is only so much I can pay out for and i have already spent all our savings for the wedding on him and I really dont want to keep spending if they can tell me whats wrong.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Exactly my point and honestly, more importantly, you don't want to keep putting him through the stress of all these vet visits and invasive testing if there is no hope of a good recovery.


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

Yep i know and knowing that even though he is eating and drinking ok he is not right in himself and seems to of lost all of his fight and get up and go. Admittedly I am pleased he doesnt want to go out anymore, but I am not happy that he is not really my Dnte right now andi dont want him to go on if he isnt happy


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