Martica and Fred
Active Member
I have not posted about Fred lately because I've been posting mainly on the heart disease board since he's been having breathing issues. Fred is now 20y and 2m and has CRF, HCM and Db.
He had cardiac heart failure in Jan but fluid was aspirated and he was great all year--only on Plavix the whole year. But the past few weeks, his breathing starting getting wheezy, crackling, etc so I thought his fluid had returned to his lungs. So I had been giving him Lasix past few weeks, but finally I went to the vet. My new cardiologist--who replaced the one that moved--we spoke on the phone and she thought that because Fred was NOT breathing fast that it could be asthma/bronchitis, rather than fluid in lungs. So we went to vet today and did xrays and turns out it looks like there is fluid. Very cloudy and no pure black and one whole lobe very white (collapsed)
Oddly, his kidney values DRAMATICALLY improved since July (BUN dropped to 3 from 5--shocking, and CREAT dropped from 90 to 71--and this despite being on Lasix and basically being dehydrated), and not getting any subQ fluids since early Jan. The vet was very surprised.
Also, for those of you worried about food issues--ever since Fred was diag with CRF (early stages) 6 years ago, and Diabetes (5 years ago)...as of 5 years ago he's ONLY eaten low carb/no grain food (Wellness and Evo wet). When his CRF got worse last June, the vet got mad at me for refusing to put him on renal diet.
A few months ago I did put him on phosphorus binders (I switch between epichitan and alum hydroxide daily), and his Phos had risen but has been back down to 6 in July and 6.6 today. He was on subQ fluids from last June thru early Jan--but had to stop because of heart failure...so he's been on NO subQ fluids since Jan---and NOW inexplicably (he IS dehdryated--and he had been on Lasix for the past 2 weeks), his kidney values are better than they've been in 1 1/2 years...? Maybe they switched blood samples and I have another cat?! But for those of you that get the CRF diagnosis and worried that you should go on the renal diet--well Fred is living proof that our Db food is still fine--maybe better.
The bad news is that his body temperature today was 95 degrees and the vet said that it could mean he is dying--but that it would probably mean a peacful in your sleep death and it could happen in next 24-48h....does anyone know anything about low body temperature?
...but then again he said that he could last another year..(he's pulled thru heat stroke in June and cardiac heart failure in Jan so my guy could surprise us.)
Fred is very weak and sleepy, and his blood sugar shot up which also makes him weak. His breathing is not too bad and still very very slow. I went ahead and gave him a Lasix since his kidneys are better than expected.
the vet did give me the euthanasia lecture...although he said that he didn't think that Fred was in pain or suffering, but was old and very weak and feeling bad in general. He felt like his quality of life was bad, but some of his reasoning-he wears diapers, he can't walk well...well I don't buy that myself--our old parents wear diapers and use a wheelchair and get constipated, too, we don't kill them just for that. But he also said, did I want him to live in this state for another year--if he lasted that long...he has BARELY been purring the past week--however ODDLY--today when we got back from the very long 3 hour vet visit he purred LOUD. But now he lethargic again.
I'm going to be with him all weekend and talk to the new cardiologist (who replaced my one who mvoed) on Tues when she's back, unless she gets my voicemail and calls me before to see if it makes sense to do an echo. He's very very lethargic tonight, but he ate and drank, so go figure..but very tired/weak. Has moments of alertness (picks his head up, ears prick up, looks around, has a bite to eat that I bring up to him...but mostly very unresponsive sleepy.
Does anyone have any ideas, comments? What's the deal with the low body temp. Right now I have a heating pad on him. I'm not sure whether to spend more money on another echocardiogram, I did give him a lasix.
He had cardiac heart failure in Jan but fluid was aspirated and he was great all year--only on Plavix the whole year. But the past few weeks, his breathing starting getting wheezy, crackling, etc so I thought his fluid had returned to his lungs. So I had been giving him Lasix past few weeks, but finally I went to the vet. My new cardiologist--who replaced the one that moved--we spoke on the phone and she thought that because Fred was NOT breathing fast that it could be asthma/bronchitis, rather than fluid in lungs. So we went to vet today and did xrays and turns out it looks like there is fluid. Very cloudy and no pure black and one whole lobe very white (collapsed)
Oddly, his kidney values DRAMATICALLY improved since July (BUN dropped to 3 from 5--shocking, and CREAT dropped from 90 to 71--and this despite being on Lasix and basically being dehydrated), and not getting any subQ fluids since early Jan. The vet was very surprised.
Also, for those of you worried about food issues--ever since Fred was diag with CRF (early stages) 6 years ago, and Diabetes (5 years ago)...as of 5 years ago he's ONLY eaten low carb/no grain food (Wellness and Evo wet). When his CRF got worse last June, the vet got mad at me for refusing to put him on renal diet.
A few months ago I did put him on phosphorus binders (I switch between epichitan and alum hydroxide daily), and his Phos had risen but has been back down to 6 in July and 6.6 today. He was on subQ fluids from last June thru early Jan--but had to stop because of heart failure...so he's been on NO subQ fluids since Jan---and NOW inexplicably (he IS dehdryated--and he had been on Lasix for the past 2 weeks), his kidney values are better than they've been in 1 1/2 years...? Maybe they switched blood samples and I have another cat?! But for those of you that get the CRF diagnosis and worried that you should go on the renal diet--well Fred is living proof that our Db food is still fine--maybe better.
The bad news is that his body temperature today was 95 degrees and the vet said that it could mean he is dying--but that it would probably mean a peacful in your sleep death and it could happen in next 24-48h....does anyone know anything about low body temperature?
...but then again he said that he could last another year..(he's pulled thru heat stroke in June and cardiac heart failure in Jan so my guy could surprise us.)
Fred is very weak and sleepy, and his blood sugar shot up which also makes him weak. His breathing is not too bad and still very very slow. I went ahead and gave him a Lasix since his kidneys are better than expected.
the vet did give me the euthanasia lecture...although he said that he didn't think that Fred was in pain or suffering, but was old and very weak and feeling bad in general. He felt like his quality of life was bad, but some of his reasoning-he wears diapers, he can't walk well...well I don't buy that myself--our old parents wear diapers and use a wheelchair and get constipated, too, we don't kill them just for that. But he also said, did I want him to live in this state for another year--if he lasted that long...he has BARELY been purring the past week--however ODDLY--today when we got back from the very long 3 hour vet visit he purred LOUD. But now he lethargic again.
I'm going to be with him all weekend and talk to the new cardiologist (who replaced my one who mvoed) on Tues when she's back, unless she gets my voicemail and calls me before to see if it makes sense to do an echo. He's very very lethargic tonight, but he ate and drank, so go figure..but very tired/weak. Has moments of alertness (picks his head up, ears prick up, looks around, has a bite to eat that I bring up to him...but mostly very unresponsive sleepy.
Does anyone have any ideas, comments? What's the deal with the low body temp. Right now I have a heating pad on him. I'm not sure whether to spend more money on another echocardiogram, I did give him a lasix.
