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Grayson & Lu

Grayson & Lu

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Good afternoon friends. Sorry I've been away this past month. Things were running very smoothly with Grayson and my new extra sweet foster Spartacus... then May 3rd, right before bed, one of my other kitties, Peaches, had an emergency. He was in respiratory distress and we went to the ER vet. They removed 312 mL of fluid from his chest and indicated he was somewhere between HCM and heart failure. We went to NC State for an echo which confirmed ...and then also found him to have kidney failure. Back and forth to my vet and the ER for bloodwork every 2-3 days, and for a while things were improving.

We spent 3.5 weeks trying to balance fluids he needed for his kidneys, Lasix to remove fluid from his heart & lungs, 8 pills BID, assisted feeding, and lots of one-on-one time. He had 200 more mL of fluid removed a week ago Thursday, then Sunday we were back at the ER and had 240 mL more. He was tired, and I promised him that when he was tired I wouldn't prolong things. He is resting with our angels now.

I hope to be "caught up" enough to be back soon. Just didn't want anyone to think I bailed on them. Give all your kitties a big hug.

Lu-Ann
 

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Oh Luann I am so sorry. I know how hard it is, but it is truly the last gift we can give. For free sweet Peaches! You were so very loved.
 
Oh Lu, I am sorry you lost your sweet Peaches. We are just never ready to say good by, but being brave enough to let them go is such a gift for them. We have missed you. Big cyber hugs ((Lu))
 
((((Lu-Ann)))),

I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet Peaches.

Fly free and land softly at Bridge, Peaches! rb_icon o:-)
 
Thank you all. They usually say the kidneys trump the heart, but in this case, the heart was really the primary cause.

The first night, I was getting ready for bed, and instead of jumping on my lap, he was laying on the vanity, facing the wall, and hyperventilating - almost as extreme as an accordian being pumped. Where did this come from? I sat on the couch with him on my lap for a minute, a position I thought would help him calm down/relax from whatever was going on. After a few minutes, there was no change, so I called the ER and we went in. "Respiratory distress" is an expression they don't take lightly. He was immediately taken back, put in oxygen and checked out.

I had always heard that ingested water is best for kitties, and fluids could be bad for kitties with heart problems. Unfortunately, HCM is often one of the major side effects for Acros like Grayson. Frequent and small doses are preferred. But when we were at the ER a week later, my regular vet (via text), the ER Vet and I had a good discussion about the fluids. First, Peaches needed fluids to keep his kidneys happy. So we discussed IV fluids vs Sub-Q. IV puts the fluid INTO the blood supply, however, it creates more work for the heart, thus the problem with that. A very slow IV drip would be the best way to do this, if the kitty is hospitalized. Sub-Q fluids are absorbed by the body, sometimes very quickly. Because they could be given at home, in a comfortable environment, and as often as needed to get them in, this was determined to be the best option for us.

It's always hard when there's more than one thing going on. It really does become a juggling act, and you have to prioritize based on each moment. As hard as I thought FD was with Grayson, in the early days, this challenged me in ways I never expected.

It never is easy to make the decision to let them go, and it wasn't made lightly. I think sometimes we just have to weigh their quality of life, the potential for improvement, and read what they want from their behavior. Hiding under the bed, fighting pills, and respiratory distress from fluids building up WAY too fast, ... the writing was on the wall. I keep saying, better one day early, than a minute too late. I don't think we were hasty in the decision, but I probably did delay a little, in hopes we'd see a turn-around. I'm just sorry we didn't.

The house feels emptier - despite the fact that I have multiple cats. Peaches really had some personality - and I miss my shower buddy!

Thank you all so much for embracing us.
 
I've also been away for a little while. I was so sorry to hear of your loss.
As hard as it is, we always do what is best for them and not what is best for us.
Praying for you and your family
Terri & Chicken Little
 
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