Cardiomyopathy

Hi Larry and Peepers!

Just thought you both would like to know that YahooGroups have a
discussion forum called "Feline Heart" ... there's a lot of us sad
people on there doing our best to help our kitties and sharing info,
so it might be a good group to join.

Licks and purrs from my sick babies to your Peeper :-)

Catherine

I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of
dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any of
those days at the vet clinic. I want to see just how bad it is.

I look at Peepers and it is hard to imagine a cat that is less likely to
have a heart problem. He is extremely alert and active, running and playing
about, eating with a good appetite ( probably better than this grazer ever
has in the past as he was for the first time in his life ever so slightly
above his ideal weight. Just enough to consider a diet regime that might
work to bring Smudge, his sister, down without pushing him back
underweight). I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years. (I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

Larry Osborne




"OzFree" wrote in message
...
Hi Larry and Peepers!

Just thought you both would like to know that YahooGroups have a
discussion forum called "Feline Heart" ... there's a lot of us sad
people on there doing our best to help our kitties and sharing info,
so it might be a good group to join.

Licks and purrs from my sick babies to your Peeper :-)

Catherine

I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of
dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any of
those days at the vet clinic. I want to see just how bad it is.

I look at Peepers and it is hard to imagine a cat that is less likely to
have a heart problem. He is extremely alert and active, running and playing
about, eating with a good appetite ( probably better than this grazer ever
has in the past as he was for the first time in his life ever so slightly
above his ideal weight. Just enough to consider a diet regime that might
work to bring Smudge, his sister, down without pushing him back
underweight). I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years. (I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

Larry Osborne




"OzFree" wrote in message
...
Hi Larry and Peepers!

Just thought you both would like to know that YahooGroups have a
discussion forum called "Feline Heart" ... there's a lot of us sad
people on there doing our best to help our kitties and sharing info,
so it might be a good group to join.

Licks and purrs from my sick babies to your Peeper :-)

Catherine

"Larry Osborne" wrote:

I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years. (I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

Think of it this way: if it does turn out to be cardiomyopathy, think how lucky
you are to catch it early. The prognosis for a cat that is showing no symptoms
is generally excellent. I've heard of cats with mild cases that never get any
worse. Good luck.

"Larry Osborne" wrote:

I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years. (I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

Think of it this way: if it does turn out to be cardiomyopathy, think how lucky
you are to catch it early. The prognosis for a cat that is showing no symptoms
is generally excellent. I've heard of cats with mild cases that never get any
worse. Good luck.

"Larry Osborne" wrote in message
...
I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of
dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any of
those days at the vet clinic. I want to see just how bad it is.

I look at Peepers and it is hard to imagine a cat that is less likely to
have a heart problem. He is extremely alert and active, running and
playing
about, eating with a good appetite ( probably better than this grazer ever
has in the past as he was for the first time in his life ever so slightly
above his ideal weight. Just enough to consider a diet regime that might
work to bring Smudge, his sister, down without pushing him back
underweight). I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years.
(I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

The first most people know about their cat having cardiomyopathy is that the
cat drops dead. Often when the cat is running around and generally acting
normal. You are being given the chance to get it diagnosed early (if indeed
it is present) and thereby avoid that horrible scenario, yet to be honest,
you seem to me to be making excuses about getting this looked into (e.g.
saying the other cat won't like his smell when he returns from the vet; that
happens to anybody whose cat goes to the vet for any reason, people just
deal with it). Denial is not going to help Peepers if he does have HCM, meds
are. And if he doesn't, the sooner you find out, the sooner you can relax
and put the worry behind you.

Me, I'm forever grateful that we got our boy diagnosed in time.

Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because it has
open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since the archives
are open, you can read them without joining.

Helen

"Larry Osborne" wrote in message
...
I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of
dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any of
those days at the vet clinic. I want to see just how bad it is.

I look at Peepers and it is hard to imagine a cat that is less likely to
have a heart problem. He is extremely alert and active, running and
playing
about, eating with a good appetite ( probably better than this grazer ever
has in the past as he was for the first time in his life ever so slightly
above his ideal weight. Just enough to consider a diet regime that might
work to bring Smudge, his sister, down without pushing him back
underweight). I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many years.
(I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

The first most people know about their cat having cardiomyopathy is that the
cat drops dead. Often when the cat is running around and generally acting
normal. You are being given the chance to get it diagnosed early (if indeed
it is present) and thereby avoid that horrible scenario, yet to be honest,
you seem to me to be making excuses about getting this looked into (e.g.
saying the other cat won't like his smell when he returns from the vet; that
happens to anybody whose cat goes to the vet for any reason, people just
deal with it). Denial is not going to help Peepers if he does have HCM, meds
are. And if he doesn't, the sooner you find out, the sooner you can relax
and put the worry behind you.

Me, I'm forever grateful that we got our boy diagnosed in time.

Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because it has
open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since the archives
are open, you can read them without joining.

Helen

"Helen" wrote in message
...
"Larry Osborne" wrote in message
...
I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of
dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any
of
those days at the vet clinic. I want to see just how bad it is.

I look at Peepers and it is hard to imagine a cat that is less likely to
have a heart problem. He is extremely alert and active, running and
playing
about, eating with a good appetite ( probably better than this grazer
ever
has in the past as he was for the first time in his life ever so
slightly
above his ideal weight. Just enough to consider a diet regime that
might
work to bring Smudge, his sister, down without pushing him back
underweight). I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the
volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many
years.
(I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

The first most people know about their cat having cardiomyopathy is that
the
cat drops dead. Often when the cat is running around and generally acting
normal. You are being given the chance to get it diagnosed early (if
indeed
it is present) and thereby avoid that horrible scenario, yet to be honest,
you seem to me to be making excuses about getting this looked into (e.g.
saying the other cat won't like his smell when he returns from the vet;
that
happens to anybody whose cat goes to the vet for any reason, people just
deal with it). Denial is not going to help Peepers if he does have HCM,
meds
are. And if he doesn't, the sooner you find out, the sooner you can relax
and put the worry behind you.

Me, I'm forever grateful that we got our boy diagnosed in time.

Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because it
has
open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since the archives
are open, you can read them without joining.

Helen



After a week of playing telephone tag and voicemail confusion with the vet,
I've got a date set up for the ultrasound. If he has cardiomyopathy, I will
know soon and deal with it. I will however continue to hope that this whole
thing is something else much less drastic until I get a report from the vet
that it is cardiomyopathy.

There is a difference between hope and denial. With hope you may wish for
the best but take steps to see what is going on and keep yourself open to do
what is necessary. With denial you avoid taking the steps that are actually
necessary.

Thanks for the information about the Yahoo Group.

Larry Osborne

"Helen" wrote in message
...
"Larry Osborne" wrote in message
...
I may go looking for it later. Right now I've given the vet a series of
dates and now she is looking to see if the tech can be available on any
of
those days at the vet clinic. I want to see just how bad it is.

I look at Peepers and it is hard to imagine a cat that is less likely to
have a heart problem. He is extremely alert and active, running and
playing
about, eating with a good appetite ( probably better than this grazer
ever
has in the past as he was for the first time in his life ever so
slightly
above his ideal weight. Just enough to consider a diet regime that
might
work to bring Smudge, his sister, down without pushing him back
underweight). I am beginning to hope that while he has a murmur that is
getting louder either it is because the examining vet overrated the
volume
and there is little to worry about or we are so early in the process of
worsening that medication may be able to hold this at bay for many
years.
(I
hope, I'll know for sure later.)

The first most people know about their cat having cardiomyopathy is that
the
cat drops dead. Often when the cat is running around and generally acting
normal. You are being given the chance to get it diagnosed early (if
indeed
it is present) and thereby avoid that horrible scenario, yet to be honest,
you seem to me to be making excuses about getting this looked into (e.g.
saying the other cat won't like his smell when he returns from the vet;
that
happens to anybody whose cat goes to the vet for any reason, people just
deal with it). Denial is not going to help Peepers if he does have HCM,
meds
are. And if he doesn't, the sooner you find out, the sooner you can relax
and put the worry behind you.

Me, I'm forever grateful that we got our boy diagnosed in time.

Incidentally, I don't recommend joining the feline heart list because it
has
open archives which increase the risk of spam. However, since the archives
are open, you can read them without joining.

Helen



After a week of playing telephone tag and voicemail confusion with the vet,
I've got a date set up for the ultrasound. If he has cardiomyopathy, I will
know soon and deal with it. I will however continue to hope that this whole
thing is something else much less drastic until I get a report from the vet
that it is cardiomyopathy.

There is a difference between hope and denial. With hope you may wish for
the best but take steps to see what is going on and keep yourself open to do
what is necessary. With denial you avoid taking the steps that are actually
necessary.

Thanks for the information about the Yahoo Group.

Larry Osborne

"Larry Osborne" wrote in message
...
After a week of playing telephone tag and voicemail confusion with the
vet,
I've got a date set up for the ultrasound. If he has cardiomyopathy, I
will
know soon and deal with it. I will however continue to hope that this
whole
thing is something else much less drastic until I get a report from the
vet
that it is cardiomyopathy.

I'm glad you have an appointment set up. I hope it isn't HCM too, but if it
is, it is often very treatable.

There is a difference between hope and denial. With hope you may wish for
the best but take steps to see what is going on and keep yourself open to
do
what is necessary. With denial you avoid taking the steps that are
actually
necessary.

Yes, good point.

Please keep us posted

Helen