1/13 KT AMPS 299 .....Scruffy even BETTER!

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Squeaky and KT (GA)

Squeaky and KT (GA)

Member Since 2011
Good morning World! Yesterday's Scruffy Struggles

+10 - 305
AMPS 395 - :o HUH?

As you see, KT is a BIG pink toad at AMPS....NO idea why it shot up 90 points in those 2 hours. He did eat but nothing that should have caused THAT - fish/shrimp zero carb and 1 dip 8% Buffalo Tuna. I'm increasing another drop beginning tomorrow. Intended to do it today but alas, brain is in 'fried' mode and forgot.

Scruffy update - He's still peeing - three more overnight and this morning. They're larger so he IS dumping the fluid - I just feel so sorry for him. His eyes are telling me 'I'M FIGHTIN' MAMA!! KEEP IT UP!'. His purr is so loud I can hear it from the sunroom thru the open screened window. He's still got fluid pockets - the ones around his legs and thighs are still heavy but we're workin' it as fast as we can.

From last night:
Sienne and Gabby said:
Lyresa:
Please take a look at this link to info on furosemide (lasix). There is a drug interaction between furosemide and enalapril and you should get some additional blood tests so there aren't kidney problems due to the interaction effects.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU SIENNE! This is EXACTLY what I was wondering and worrying about - how can you slow down the heart and blood circulation then expect a med like Lasix to get rid of the fluid fast? That just isn't logical. I'm NOT going to continue with the Enalapril until more of this fluid is gone. I understand the need for it....

Hugs to everyone today - special thoughts and prayers for Anne, Liz and Zener, Robin and Harley, Claudia and Rocket, Tracy's (Leo) back and Carol/Karen's family. I know there are more I'm forgetting but will send up a prayer when I'm reminded...
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 - YUCK! ..Scruffy still fighting!

Morning KT come on down from that high pink and sending lots of healing vines for Scruffy today :YMHUG: cat_pet_icon
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 - YUCK! ..Scruffy still fighting!

Hi guys .. well my my KT that was quite a jump, what's that all about? Let's bring it back down ok? Continued prayers for Scruffy .. I'm glad he still has that look in his eyes telling you he's fighting .. have a great weekend!
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 - YUCK! ..Scruffy still fighting!

Does scruffy have kidney issues? For dogs with heart failure a drug such as enapril is a must. Nike had tiring kidneys and she was on benazapril instead - which I guess is easier on the kidneys. You are fighting for Scruffy to survive this crisis, so you should ask your vet or someone who knows about CHF in cats. Sienne gave you the name of someone a few posts back.
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 - YUCK! ..Scruffy still fighting!

Scruffy hasn't had kidney issues in the past as far as I know. I've emailed Jess & Earl per Sienne's suggestion - awaiting reply. I hope she doesn't feel like my email was an intrusion, I don't ever want to put someone in an uncomfortable situation....

We've got two more pees this morning - now he wants to go outside and lay in the sun. It's only 39 degrees, not gonna let him yet...he needs to stay right where he is in front of his heater curled up on his wool sweater. I got out my 'sling' couch last night - figured out that he could lay down comfortable on something that sort of gave with his weight. He snuggled down in it and purred himself to sleep. He's moving around easier this morning! His eyes are just full of sparkle and love....

EDIT TO ADD: Rather than saying I was just stopping the Enalapril, I should have said I'm going to stop TODAY'S pill and let the Lasix work. I reread my statement above - looks a little irresponsible....sorry.... :oops:

HUGS!
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 - YUCK! ..Scruffy still fighting!

Come on, Scruffy, you can do it! Keep fighting, buddy!!

And KT, do you need to enroll in the special "Bounce" class that is being given at LTS today?

Lyresa, I hope and pray all will continue to improve for Scruffy. It sounds like he is doing OK.

Lots of hugs to you all and special healing vines to Scruffy.

Ella & Rusty
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 ..Scruffy still fighting!

Now THAT'S a much better number from KT!

+3 - 298 Still way too high but compared to the AMPS, it's great! Makes me think maybe that AMPS number was big +variance.

Oh I'm seeing improvement in Scruffy's fluid!! We've had two more pees so the Lasix is doing it's job well now. He's still far from out of the woods but my heart is smiling easier now. Instead of just wanting to lay around, he's getting sassy about going outside....NOW....(no...)
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 ..Scruffy still fighting!

Yay on that +3! We're with you and KT and Scruffy all the way, Lyresa. :YMHUG: from me and a head-butt under your chin from Mookie.
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 ..Scruffy still fighting!

My heart is smiling also. Package was mailed today - the freezing rain prevented me from getting out and sending it yesterday.
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 +6-250! ..Scruffy even BETTE

NICE drop today but I'm still not believing that 395 - I'll bet it was closer to a 325 or so.

+6 - 250 At least it's NOT pink!

Sir Scruffs - another large pee. He's looking noticeably better as the day progresses and is back to wanting to follow me everywhere when I go to the porch or in the backyard. We just went for a slow walk to let him patrol his perimeter but I carried him back altho' it's only 60 feet or so. I don't want to put any more strain on his heart than necessary. I was advised that I was allowed to lock the door, he'd sit and clean his feet.... dancing_cat
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 +6-250! ..Scruffy even BETTE

Good news on Scruffy! One day at a time, every pee is a small victory.

Nice drop for KT! You're looking good in yelllow this afternoon Sir KT.

I hope you and DH are feeling better
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 +6-250! ..Scruffy even BETTE

So glad to hear Scruffy is feeling better!! Healing vines that he keeps getting better and better. Thinking of you Lyresa!
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 +6-250! ..Scruffy even BETTE

If you don't hear from Jess, please speak with your vet. The vet may have taken the interaction into account and I agree with Karrie -- an ACE inhibitor may be a very necessary thing.
 
Re: 1/13 KT AMPS 395 +3-294 +6-250! ..Scruffy even BETTE

I've never been so excited about pee I can only imagine how excited about each pee you must be, keep em coming Scruffy.
 
KT closes out the night wearing his yellow crown altho' it's awfully tight on him... ;-)

PMPS 299

KT has been awake almost all day and played...and played....and played...and annoyed everyone, watched out the window, played...I'm not used to him being that active all day. Didn't get much done that requires hairballs to be still.

Scruffy's still improving each time I go out to see him - almost by the hour. He just looks pregnant with about 4 kittens now - he was carrying 14 or so yesterday....he won't walk anywhere but beside me so can't see how his belly area and legs look.

To bed we go...may sweet dreams visit on velvet paws...
 
Sorry, I know I'm risking a confusion by re-starting yesterday's condo but I wanted to address this out in the open for everyone to see because I think it's important ...

Squeaky and KT said:
link to info on furosemide (lasix). There is a drug interaction between furosemide and enalapril and you should get some additional blood tests so there aren't kidney problems due to the interaction effects.
Click to expand...

I looked at the Marvista vet article and was a little disappointed, their articles are usually better. Anyway the drugs don't interact with each other, it's more that you worry about them both causing elevations in kidney numbers (azotemia). I say 'azotemia' rather than kidney damage because it is very important to understand that dehydration (caused by Lasix) can cause pre-renal azotemia (azotemia caused by something other than kidney function) but does not damage kidneys. It's possible to permanently damage kidneys through chronic severe dehydration; it's possible to damage any organ that way really. But therapeutic Lasix does not do this.

I'll give a bit of a complicated explanation on enalapril. Enalapril and benazepril are both ACE inhibitors, and they counteract an emergency response we all naturally have to certain kinds of physical stress. When an animal goes into CHF, they have an activation of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renin-angiotensin_system emergency response. This response makes the body hold in more water and sodium, which is exactly what a patient in heart failure wants to get rid of. So in treating CHF, you want to disable this in order to decrease work for the heart. (The more blood volume, the more overloaded the heart gets.) Patients who already have renal disease may not be able to tolerate both Lasix and enalapril/benazepril so the enalapril is skipped, but for otherwise healthy patients, both drugs are given. For animals suffering an acute crisis in hospital, the tendency is to push as much Lasix as they need to start breathing well again, and then add the enalapril.

THANK YOU SIENNE! This is EXACTLY what I was wondering and worrying about - how can you slow down the heart and blood circulation then expect a med like Lasix to get rid of the fluid fast? That just isn't logical.
Click to expand...

So you're not slowing it down, instead you're keeping it from speeding up. If I'm an animal who's just fallen into an icy river and finally dragged myself out, I want my RAAS (see wikipedia link) to run at full speed, bringing up my blood pressure and conserving my fluids. If I'm a cat who's in CHF because I'm overloaded with fluid, I do not want my RAAS to run at any speed, as increased pressure and volume is forcing my failing heart to work even harder.

Speaking of CHF ... there are 2 kinds of CHF: left-sided, which causes fluid to build up in and around the lungs in cats, and right-sided, which causes fluid to build up in the belly. Left-sided is much more common in cats and is usually caused by HCM; the hallmark is a cat who is having difficulty breathing. Lyresa, you are describing right-sided CHF (fluid in the belly aka ascites) which is very unusual. I'm curious why your vet thought that the fluid was caused by CHF? Did he tap the fluid and analyze it? Did he drain the belly at that time? Does this cat eat a commercial diet or do you cook for him? There are heart defects that can cause R-CHF but it would be strange for this to finally show effects in a 9 yr old cat. The other possibility is DCM, which is exceedingly rare in cats eating a commercial diet. So I'm not sure about this being heart disease, though it's possible. Are you in a heartworm area? Heartworm is another disease that can cause R-CHF though these cats usually seem to be quite sick by that time.

Sorry again to mess up your condo order. Hope this helps. Please let me know if I've been unclear.
 
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