20 year old cat with heart murmur _{Page 6 of 6}

Hi Fitness,

I'm just posting as things happen so I don't forget to mention anything.

This morning, a very small bowel movement, maybe 1/2 a teaspoon. Not completely watery - more mushy and also in her litter box.

There was also more vomiting, a smaller amount and more mushy, not completely undigested and also some hair so she's brought this up, coughing up a fur ball.

She was really quiet last night, this is usually a positive sign (less clingy) but she's different. I bring her bed in to the Living room on the couch during the day, when she sleeps she's usually either completely stretched out and relaxed or sleeping on her side but when she wakes up she stretches out and rubs her face/ears on her bed until she wakens, then usually comes for a cuddle. At the moment she's sleeping either on her side or on all fours with her head tucked slightly under. On waking, there's no rubbing (behaviour showing she's relaxed/content) and she has to be coaxed to come for a cuddle which she is doing, for a brief moment. She sometimes looks like she doesn't really know what she wants. Over to me and back to her bed - quietly unsettled May be the best way to describe this. She's still drinking. Eating is more, little at a time, her appetite has reduced ( I know how quickly this can improve once she's eating properly again so while she's alert and showing no major signs of distress, I'm not too concerned. Also, when she's sitting, she doesn't sit flat on the floor, her rear end is off the floor. This is a new symptom and can only assume by this, there's a level/degree of pain/uncomfortableness in that area.

Also, she hasn't called out through the night for the last few nights. But even this morning, she was different. I literally open my eyes in the morning and she starts calling out. I'm on my own so don't know if I make any noises when I'm sleeping that she can hear or if she can sense I'm awake but she always knows. This morning I got up and went in to the kitchen before she started any kind of communication. She didn't eat much this morning either.

Last night, she jumped out her sleep (she usually sleeps deeply) I was looking at a video clip on my phone and that disturbed her. This wouldn't normally waken her - I can put things off at night and still have to gently waken her so she doesn't get a fright. She is at times a very deep sleeper.

If there's anything noticeable going on/improvements or otherwise, I'll post again tomorrow.

Thanks Fitness, have a nice weekend. Best wishes, Kirsty

Hi Fitness,

Over the last 24 hours She's more like her old self temperament wise. I went out to get her chicken yesterday to see if she'd eat that any better. She was calling out, rubbing round my legs when I got back. Eating little and often but appetite yesterday I would say was close to normal. No vomiting and no further bowel movement as yet so other than the small amount I mentioned, there's been nothing. She slept a lot yesterday again more like her usual, deep and relaxed and coming for a cuddle when she wakened. She looked very content in her sleep which was great to see, she was completely miserable the night before. She called out this morning 7 seconds after I woke up, looKing for food. Big improvement since yesterday it's her bowels that seem to be the problem still, no further vomiting as yet. I will see what the next 24 hours bring and post back tomorrow to see what you're thinking.

Thanks Fitness,

Kirsty

Hi Fitness,

We had quite an eventful day yesterday. Temperament wise, she has remained great! I did some work with her. I had a quiet weekend and decided again to do only what was needed and the rest would be spent concentrating on Molly and nuala (I'll post on hers after this for you to look at if you don't mind, it's just a top up for her)

Molly loves a lounge wear top I have, I forgot about this until I came across it, very soft and fluffy and thought if that doesn't entice her to come for a cuddle nothing would. Neither of them have been brought up to be cuddly, they just are. It worked, as soon as I sat down, she was over snuggling in and purring away very happily. Started off wanting proper cuddle wrapped in my arms, as close as she could get then settled on my knee, lots of rubbing and head bunting going on. She had a bowel movement about 1pm, about a dinner spoon worth. Still diarrhea, not watery but a thick liquid, so other than them moving which is better, that is still the same. As the day went on, she became more mischievous and energetic and remained cuddly but happy at times just to lie beside me, snuggled in. She wasn't clinging on at any point. her appetite/ eating habits were more her usual. Started off with a small amount ( what she had been eating) that was finished in the morning and she wanted more, that was finished as well. Later on in the afternoon, same again and slightly less in the evening. 3 or 4 feeds a day is usual for her. With the diarrhea, she's using her box again which is also a much healthier sign, but she did a further movement had it all over her paws and was trailed through the house. Cleaned, well thought I'd cleaned her paws ( didn't like that at all) later on I was doing stuff in the kitchen, nuala was jumping about, getting a bit wound up, transpired Molly was in the cupboard and she was trying to swipe nuala from inside, although quite funny, especially considering how awful she looked the night before she was told it wasn't allowed, this doesn't have much impact on Molly, if I point at her whilst telling her she just rubs herself up against my hand to get patted. Anyway, her mucky paws were all over the contents of the cupboard. She doesn't seem to be particularly bothered at the moment anyway about her bowels, but it does need to be sorted. She was giving nuala quite a hard time for most of yesterday, they are both guilty of this, but Molly was the instigator yesterday. End result being, nuala is now not happy. Molly also decided at her evening feed, she didn't want chicken so it was back to the turkey mince. She hasn't eaten as yet this morning but that's not necessarily anything to worry about at the moment. I did check to see if she was dependent on the cuddles last night by putting her on to her bed from my knee, wasn't bothered. She cuddled up straight away and went back to sleep. I have a busy week ahead so I'm expecting her to take a nose dive at some point which I'd prefer to avoid, if possible, we also need to try and get her bowels functioning better, can only assume there's a back log now with her doing so little. Other than the diarrhea which comes a bit of spluttering there's nothing else to tell, she doesn't appear to be in any pain passing it. I'll do as much as I can in terms of giving her what she feels she needs to make her feel better, I just wish I could make her understand she has nothing to worry about, that's the part that's hard for me. While I was sitting with her I was wondering, with the remedies, do they become conscious of why they feel or do the feelings just stop without any conscious awareness? Is that known with animals?

There's been no more vomitting.

I think I've covered everything from yesterday, if you could let me know what to do next, that would be much appreciated.

Thanks Fitness,

Kirsty

I will do, thanks Fitness

Kirsty

Hi Fitness,

Molly vomtied clear bile this morning. Her stools are a little more solid but she's doing them outside her box again and not as much as she would or has been prior to this episode. She's not chilly, she seems happy enough still so temperature wise I'd say that was stable but if anything she would be more affected by heat, at the moment anyway. I have been busy dealing with various things, yesterday I was popping in and out to make sure she wasn't feeling too lonely but 2 days in to the week and she's affected again.

I trimmed her nails yesterday. I did this about 6 week's ago but being indoors they're growing quite fast. There was one, front right paw when sitting on my knee or left if she's facing me, outside nail was starting to in grow, caught it early enough though. Initially she wasn't happy about getting it done but when I eventually got it and trimmed the rest she seemed quite relieved. So although not a major issue it's something that was also bothering her to some extent.

She's not particularly clingy at the moment but she is very sooky/ wanting attention and lots of cuddles.


Thanks Fitness,

Kirsty

Hi Fitness,

I've just realised I forgot to say the vomit was frothy. Her box is clean so there's no reason for her doing the toilet outside of it except, she's not happy about something. First thing the Vet would be asking is - is she using her litter box, it's generally a behaviour that shows something going on. I'll see how she is when I get back and over the next 24 hours or so. It's great the stools are improving (at the moment) but with her not vomiting for a few days and now bringing up clear foamy liquid - it seems to be a pattern at the moment, if she's less sick, her bowels are better and vise versa. I'll see if a clearer picture emerges or wether there is a continual improvement with both and let you know.

Best wishes,

Kirsty

Morning fitness,

Same thing today, no vomiting but runny stools, not watery but thick liquid. This is the only persisting symptoms and the pattern that seems to be there.

Last night when I went to bed, she started calling out. Transpired, I forgot to put her bed out. A good sign, her spirits are good, it's just this persistent, alternating sickness and diarrhea. I wish I could tell you more but I can't.

I'll keep an eye on her, and keep you posted on how she is, I'm just concerned for her and the Vet won't do anything. Even if they were too, it's highly probable the medications would be too harsh and they'd create more problems than what they would be helping.

Best wishes,

Kirsty

Morning fitness,

I hope you're well.

I just want to update again. I hope you're going to be ok with this, I couldn't leave Molly going the way she was. I managed to find a few cases of cats and carsinosin. Although she is very strongly a pulsatilla constitution, there were a few symptoms of carsinosin that I felt was worthy of trying with her.

The love/aversion of food. Some that could be considered amongst others - she had a litter of kittens before she was a year old (too much responsibility at a young age) she used to love sitting at the window watching thunder storms (I had forgotten about that) Lucy as you know was one of the kittens that we kept and had to be put to sleep 6 months ago due to suspected brain tumor) one of her other kittens, I recently found out, was put to sleep last year also for the same reason, he had went blind also but Lucy deteriorated very quickly. So there may have been some grief there although she was displaying pulsatilla symptoms very strongly. Also, since my mum took not well and died a few months later, her routine (again I never really thought about that) has been all over the place.

I gave her 2ml of carcinosin 30c diluted 3 times so it was a very mild dose. There has been significant changes in her since yesterday. Firstly, she vomited again this morning, 20 mins away from a full 24 hours, it was foamy again but about 1/3 of what she had done previously and she has done ( albeit still outside her box) 2 small but solid stools. Vocally she sounds much stronger, physically she's more energetic, she's on the ground more - lying on the carpet in sunny spots, walking along the back of the furniture (haven't seen her do this for quite a while) she generally seems much happier/more confident with lots of purring, head hunting going on and appetite has been great so far. She's eating chicken again. Not sure at the moment how long this will last, but it should definitely help with further prescribing. She's very relaxed and content this morning.

I hope you're still happy to help with future prescribing and I appreciate all your help this far.

Best wishes,

Kirsty