"Larry Osborne" wrote in message
...
Anybody have any cats with cardiomyopathy and how does one cope?
Management
of the disease, etc.

I got a call the other day from Peepers Vet. Gabrielle Herman (the usual
vet) had gone over the examination at his annual examination this year and
noticed that a heart murmur that has been present in the past was getting
louder ( 2 to 3 on a scale of 6). She wants him in in four months to do
an
ultrasound to see what needs to be done, if anything, as she suspects a
cardiomyopathy. Just her saying that, sent me into a day of grieving for
a
seeming healthy playful cat, well except that he doesn't seem to be able
to
pass up an annual excursion to the vet emergency for a hairball blockage
or
something similar.

Anyway I need to know how to cope at the various degrees that may be
necessary, so I would appreciate some comment. Also some further
information about exactly what ranges of problems this can cause. The
only
thing I've done so far is to check a vet site for some very general
information (not to helpful) about what this is.

Larry Osborne

Take a deep breath, Larry, it's not necessarily an immediate death sentence.
I have a cat with HCM. He's had it for 4.25 years now, and is doing
absolutely fine, touch wood. He just needs daily meds (one tablet), and
annual heart ultrasounds. Don't wait for the ultrasound, get it done ASAP,
preferably by a feline cardiologist, because if Peepers needs meds, then the
sooner you start them, the better for the heart.

Some basic info (and a picture of my HCM cat):

http://www.felinecrf.org/related_diseases.htm#HCM1

HTH

Helen