Feline HCM-Update on Myrna Loy (and Elizabeth Taylor, too)

For whatever reason, Myrna Loy has had a surge of energy since Sunday.  A month ago, she saw the cardiologist for a check-up, had an increase in atenolol due to a higher heart rate, and still had good kidney blood values.  A week later, she struggles to chew, isn't eating much, and sees the vet.  We found that kidney values had increased and combined with not eating, meant that she was low on energy.  She began antibiotics in case she had an inflammation in her mouth and she developed diarrhea due to the antibiotics.  This led to an increase decline of appetite and energy.  I then cut the antibiotic into four  of 1/2ml-from two doses of 1ml-which decreased the severity of the diarrhea.  I also continued the liquid supplement mixture (omega 3, baby food sweet potato, krill oil, etc.) and gave KMR mixed with corn syrup by mouth when she would not eat (this was a form of protein and energy for her.)  Last week, Elizabeth Taylor was hospitalized with a severe bladder inflammation. So, last week was a hectic week with one cat very sick, and another having trouble eating enough on her own and being somewhat run down.

Then suddenly Sunday 9/28/14, Myrna pops up perky, energetic, alert, engaged, playful, and hungry.  She had slowly been eating somewhat better by the end of that week preceding but she has been eating very well on her own since Sunday even though she was still on antibiotics (which thankfully ended 101/1/14.)  She played all day Sunday and barely slept until the early evening. She brought me her potato toy, her mouse, played with the ribbon toy, and played fetch with my husband.  She has played with the mouse almost every day since and has brought it to bed at nap time.  She has been cuddly at night, curled up in my lap for hours.  And last night, 10/1/14, she brought the mouse to bed at bedtime and I tossed it back to her and she jumped for it.  I continued to toss it and she continued to jump up on the bed to try to catch it and often she caught it with both paws-something she's not done in years.  

Myrna and Elizabeth

Elizabeth has finally finished her course of Clavamox antibiotic which has been difficult for her to take. It has caused great foaming of the mouth and much running away.  She really does not want to eat strictly Hills CD as prescribed but we are working on it.  I'm not as concerned about her lack of eating as I am with Myrna.  Why?  Because Elizabeth will eat something per meal, is drinking a lot on her own, and doesn't take heart meds that lead to dehydration and can, for a variety of reasons, damage her kidneys.  She's not starving at all. And she could lose some weight being almost twelve pounds.  Myrna, on the other hand, needs to eat and drink; must keep up her energy, support her kidneys so that they react properly to the heart meds.  And Elizabeth seems to continue to recover, is using her litter box faithfully, and does not seem to be in any pain or discomfort when urinating.