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How do I know "it's" closer? HCM progression.

chickensmom

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Chicken is sort of restless tonight. He is laying on me under his blankets and just seems anxious, he's cleaning himself and sort of jumpy at noises. Yawning more than usual.

I can hear him breathing too, it's quiet and doesn't sound wet or rattling, just a soft wheeze on inhalation. His respiratory rate is 30-34 at rest.

He's eating well still.

So for those of you that have had cats who had HCM and went into congestive heart failure and passed what sort of things were you seeing in the weeks, days and hours leading up?

This is a morbid thread I know...but I just am trying to get a picture of what may happen so I know and a timeline of experiences from other cat parents who have went through this.
 

Catzzzmeow

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I saw abnormal breathing. Nothing drastic and not able to describe, except just different. Was eating drinking and peeing fine...just knew something was different. 20-30 breaths per minute is normal...keep a log on what you are seeing.
 
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Yoda mom

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@chickensmom , head smooches sent ..(((hugs))) to you
We are here for you and Chicken

I am glad you reach out .. It is definitely not morbid to want to learn more and ask the hard questions for quality of care and love.

With my Kato , medications once adjusted ..he did quite well..
I watched him carefully and as it progressed over time , I noticed more sleeping , more exercise intolerance , lethargic ,
Increased rapid breathing , *open mouth breathing wetter sounding and more coughing with his head held between his paws ..
 

Izidora

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I can only go backwards as I did not know my cat was sick...he was sleeping a lot, was all lethargic, wouldn't want to play with me, was uninterested...but I always thought that was because he's just like that, you know, he's "grown up".... and also, lonely. He was eating&drinking fine...when he got company, his younger brother, they played like crazy and I did not notice a thing, neither heavy breathing neither exercise intolerance, he was feeling fine and happy - except for the coldness on his body - his bottom was colder compared to the front part - I now realize it's because of poor blood flow and possible blood clots but he never had problems with limb paralysis or pain. Then we just found him dead one evening,...we left him totally normal in the morning... :(
 

chickensmom

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Well...he's stable again I guess? Every time I see things that are off and I think he's getting worse, the next days he's "okay".

On a positive note though, he takes his meds willingly now!!! I just put them in cream cheese and put it on his plate when he eats in the morning and evening :)

Such a good boy. I'm proud of him.
 

Xandria

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I'm so sorry, @chickensmom . You are an awesome SphynxMommy. And this isn't really a morbid thread. I think it's very important that everyone touched by this horrid illness discuss these things openly. Education is so important, and that comes from shared experiences (good and bad). This is what I love about THIS community. The sharing, caring, and support.

HUGS to you and a little soft smooch for Chicken (best name for a Sphyx, btw. LOL).
 

chickensmom

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Ugh, bad night.

Puked. Then he had "wet" lungs and was uncomfortable from 1-4 am.

I gave him his meds early and the "big half" of the diuretic.

He's settled back down and purring and being himself this morning. I think.
 

JessicaRosexo

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I saw abnormal breathing. Nothing drastic and not able to describe, except just different. Was eating drinking and peeing fine...just knew something was different. 20-30 breaths per minute is normal...keep a log on what you are seeing.
I agree with Catzz I saw no drastic signs of end of life with my boy who I lost on friday apart from abnormal breathing which had lasted 2 days after he had a episode of his lungs filling but didnt recover from it on the wednesdays episode and sadly passed on the Friday morning peacefully than I expected as before he died he went into another lung filling episode and then after about 20 minutes he started to calm down and slipped away to meet all the other babies at rainbow bridge!
He was still eating and drinking the night before he died, still moving around although he had slowed down alot.
I think I was more in denial of not seeing the signs really or I just didnt want to believe them but now I look back I found that he was...
-sleeping more
-eating less
-having accidents during his lung filling episodes
-Weight loss evan though he was still eating
-Increased heart rate
And I had a sense of he really had had enough, he looked so sad now I look at his recent pictures to the pictures before his diagnosis.
It's one of the worst disease I can think of for these poor babies! I just think to myself to help me cope he is no longer suffering anymore as now I do see how much he had deteriorated since his diagnoses 6 month ago I never put him on heart medicine just water tablets and blood thinners as I wasnt advised to put him on them but the other 2 seemed to help him a small amount but his CHF seemed to of been caught at quite a late stage I just never wanted to believe it!
Hold them nakeds so tight!❤
 
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