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Cat Health > Beloved Helmet - 11 yo passed - sudden death

Helmet- (3/98-9/17/0- 9) My Baby

Helmie Head
 
 
Purred: Mon Sep 21, '09 5:45pm PST 
My beautiful head-butting guy passed away on 09/17/09. I have so much running through my head, so if anyone can help, I'd be grateful. Here is our story:

Helmet, the love of my life tuxedo kitty, passed on Thursday - suddenly. He was diagnosed with asymptomatic HCM in Dec 2005 after his brother Boone, died, suddenly from a saddle thrombosis. Helmet was started on CoQ10, Enalapril and Cholarest. About a year later his Cholarest was changed to Red Rice Yeast. His echos all maintained that yes, he has the disease, but nothing serious as the enlarged heart.

Last year he was started on Atenolol 2x daily to help with the disease. During this time, he was living with my Mom because he was hiding out alot here due to not liking my partner. His last echo was in May 2009 and after being on Atenolol, Enalapril, CoQ10 and Red Rice Yeast his values were improving even more. They didn't recommend his next echo until May 2010.

However, in June, Helmet came down with IBD. He was vomiting and throwing up and it was so severe he had to be hospitalized. I drove up to pick him up and stayed with him for two weeks there. He had a laparascopy done which confirmed the IBD. Since he had a biopsy of his intestines done, he couldn't start on Prednisone right away. Instead, they started him on Leukarine (a well-tolerated chemo drug suited for heart kitties).

At this point, we had stopped both the CoQ10 and Red Rice Yeast because he wasn't eating with that on his food, and now it was important that he ate, period. He was eating chicken baby food, but also a good amount of Wellness Chicken/Herring wet food. I got him eating again on those things, thankfully.

So, now on Leukarine every other day for two weeks. Then, introduced Prednisone 5mg every other day. Cut back on the Leukarine to twice weekly. Then, cut the 5mg Pred down to 2.5mg every other day. After two weeks of that, cut the Pred down to 1.25 mg every other day. Then, cut it down to twice weekly. I was just starting a weekly pred and a weekly Leukarine when he died on Thursday.

About three weeks ago, I started crushing up his Atenolol and Enalapril and putting it on his food because he was so intolerant of all of the pilling by now. Usually, he would eat the majority of his wet food, but honestly, there were times he wouldn't. I tried to get him to eat it over the course of a few hours. Most times he would, couple time he didn't. Now he was eating Orijen Grasslands (rabbit, and other "novel" proteins, Eagle Pack Turkey Barley, Tiki Cat tuna/calamari, and pretty much eating on his own. Cept, occasionally he would tire of one or the other and I'd have to switch it up again. Behavior was pretty good, seemed social, playful, mobile, but still did rest a bit. Three other cats in the house, one of which is a new 1 year old guy I've had for five months. I thought maybe he stressed him out, but the frequently played together.

On Thursday, I came home, after being gone for maybe an 1 to 1.5 hours and he was gone.

I am now at the point of self-blame, self-loathing, regret, pain, depression, anguish. I didn't want to part with his body, but was pretty much forced to. I did request (with GREAT reluctance) a necropsy.

Can anyone tell me if anything I did, stopping the CoQ10 and Red Rice Yeast, or not starting them up again after stabilizing him with the IBD, did damage? If his last echo was good enough to NOT recommend another until next May, how could this event have been heart related? Did the IBD strain his heart? If so, why wouldn't the vets at the vet school recommend a f/u echo after he was stabilized from the IBD? Did I taper the IBD drugs too quickly?

I'm so desperately miserable without him. And, just don't understand how after seeming to make good progress from the IBD episode, how this could have happened.
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» There has since been 4 posts. Last posting by Sky, Sep 22 5:30 pm
Cat Health > Atenol prescribed but causing wheezing/shrt breaths. Help!
Helmet- (3/98-9/17/0- 9) My Baby

Helmie Head
 
 
Purred: Sun Sep 20, '09 12:32pm PST 
Guys, sorry to be tacking onto this topic but I have some questions related to HCM, Prednisone, and IBD. Here is Helmet's/my story:

Helmet, the love of my life tuxedo kitty, passed on Thursday - suddenly. He was diagnosed with asymptomatic HCM in Dec 2005
after his brother Boone, died, suddenly from a saddle thrombosis. Helmet was started on CoQ10, Enalapril and Cholarest. About a year later his Cholarest was changed to Red Rice Yeast. His echos all maintained that yes, he has the disease, but nothing serious as the enlarged heart.

Last year he was started on Atenolol 2x daily to help with the disease. During this time, he was living with my Mom because he was hiding out alot here due to not liking my partner. His last echo was in May 2009 and after being on Atenolol, Enalapril, CoQ10 and Red Rice Yeast his values were improving even more. They didn't recommend his next echo until May 2010.

However, in June, Helmet came down with IBD. He was vomiting and throwing up and it was so severe he had to be hospitalized. I drove up to pick him up and stayed with him for two weeks there. He had a laparascopy done which confirmed the IBD. Since he had a biopsy of his intestines done, he couldn't start on Prednisone right away. Instead, they started him on Leukarine (a well-tolerated
chemo drug suited for heart kitties).

At this point, we had stopped both the CoQ10 and Red Rice Yeast because he wasn't eating with that on his food, and now it was important that he ate, period. He was eating chicken baby food, but also a good amount of Wellness Chicken/Herring wet food. I got him eating again on those things, thankfully.

So, now on Leukarine every other day for two weeks. Then, introduced Prednisone 5mg every other day. Cut back on the Leukarine to twice weekly. Then, cut the 5mg Pred down to 2.5mg every other day. After two weeks of that, cut the Pred down to 1.25 mg every other day. Then, cut it down to twice weekly. I was just
starting a weekly pred and a weekly Leukarine when he died on Thursday.

About three weeks ago, I started crushing up his Atenolol and Enalapril and putting it on his food because he was so intolerant of all of the pilling by now. Usually, he would eat the majority of his wet food, but honestly, there were times he wouldn't. I tried to get him to eat it over the course of a few hours. Most times he would, couple time he didn't. Now he was eating Orijen Grasslands (rabbit, and other "novel" proteins, Eagle Pack Turkey Barley, Tiki Cat tuna/calamari, and pretty much eating on his own. Cept, occasionally he would tire of one or the other and I'd have to switch it up again. Behavior was
pretty good, seemed social, playful, mobile, but still did rest a bit. Three other cats in the house, one of which is a new 1 year old guy I've had for five months. I thought maybe he stressed him out, but the frequently played together.

On Thursday, I came home, after being gone for maybe an 1 to 1.5 hours and he was gone.

I am now at the point of self-blame, self-loathing, regret, pain, depression, anguish. I didn't want to part with his body, but was pretty much forced to. I did request (with GREAT reluctance) a necropsy.

Can anyone tell me if anything I did, stopping the CoQ10 and Red Rice Yeast, or not starting them up again after stabilizing him with the IBD, did damage? If his last echo was good enough to NOT recommend another until next May, how could this event have been heart related? Did the IBD strain his heart? If so, why wouldn't the vets at the vet school recommend a f/u echo after he was stabilized
from the IBD? Did I taper the IBD drugs too quickly?

I'm so desperately miserable without him. And, just don't understand how after seeming to make good progress from the IBD episode, how this could have happened.
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