On my last visit to the vet for my two cats' annual check up I was told that my 8 year old calico, Tasha (seen in picture), has an enlarged heart. It was a surprise since there were no symptoms that I could see.Was it my fault? Probably not, apparently it is usually a genetic weakness inherited from one of the parents.
What to do? She is currently on a beta blocker taken every evening by syringe which, I am told, blocks the effects of stress on the heart by slowing the heart rate and reducing the heart’s oxygen demand and may help to control heart rhythm disturbances.
In the meantime there is not much we can do to help, except be mindful of her condition and try to keep things as stress-free for her as possible. This has brought it's own set of problems, in that she was already extremely nervous in the car trip to the vet, and now I have to take her to a vet nearer home to avoid raising her stress level.
The good news is that she is still behaving the same way she was before her illness was discovered, except that she is sleeping more (I'm told this is a side effect of the medicine). Apart from that, she is the same character she has always been, but just that much more cherished by her family.
Don't ask...it's a cat thing....
No comments:
Post a Comment