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WE FOUND A KITTEN APPROX 7 WEEKS OLD AT RIVER, BROUGHT IT HOME AND TOOK IT TO VET NEXT DAY. KITTEN NOT EATIN AND HAD A RESPIRATORY INFECTION AND MILD HEART MURMOR. 6 DAYS LATER KITTEN NOT USING THE BATHROOM HAS LARGE NOT ON RECTUM AREA AND HAD TO HAVE A ENEMA AND BE CLEANED OUT. THE KITEN IS EATING NOW BUT NOT GOING TO BATHROOM WELL ON ANBIOTICS AND LAXATIVES, NOW THE OTHER VET SAYS THE HEART MURMOR IS LEVEL 6 NOW AND THE QUESTION IS WOULD THIS CAT HAVE A MISERABLE LIFE AND I HONESTLY DONT HAVE A LOT OF MONEY , I AM A SINGLE MOM OF 2 AND GRANDMOTHER ALREADY ON VERY TIGHT BUDGET, BUT I CANT STAND THE THOUGHT OF NOT HELPING THIS KITTEN!!!! IS THERE HOPE?
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Answers
A class 1 is more common in a kitten and they may outgrow that and be fine but a class 6 is the most serious and would most likely be fatal. I would not give up on the poor kitten unless that diagnosis was confirmed by a second opinion since the first vet had said it was mild. There are tests that could be done but that would be expensive. But if this vet heard it just on an ordinary exam, I would have another vet listen to it and tell you how to proceed. My kitten Dolly's life-threatening condition was missed for over a month even though we saw my vet several times and even saw an emergency vet too. Nothing would have changed the end result, but what I am saying is that even trusted vets make mistakes or miss things.
Heart murmers are graded from 1 to 6 with 6 being the most serious. Are the 2 different vets at the same practice? If so I'd ask them both to compare notes and maybe check his heart again as it would be very unusual for a heart murmer to change from a level 1-2 (mild) to 6 so soon. Cats with heart murmers as kittens can live long lives or at least have a good life until whatever underlying heart problem gets too bad. The constipation issues may be an ongoing issue so I'd check what the vet thinks about that.
If I were you I'd ask whichever of the vets you trust most to give you their honest opinion what they think his chances are and what quality of life he can expect. They probably can't give you absolutr certainty how things will turn oiut but they should have seen enough sick kittens in their time to know if this is something that you can nurse him through and he can live a decent life or if the health issues he has are too overwhelming and he hasn't got much time left.
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