Hi,

Thank you for your response :-) Actually, I've been trying to find another vet in the area but this guy is actually the best of the worst. The only other vet we have around here gives out tons of coupons for free visits because he doesn't have any patients. Plus, we've been taking Charlie to this vet for 11 years and he knows his rather extensive medical history(he's an exotic shorthair so he had a lot of eye and sinus problems). I've been afraid to start over with someone new.

All of the CRF websites say overhydration is caused by too many Sub-Q's or the end stages of the disease. Since we haven't been giving him any Sub-Q's, I can only assume the prognosis is pretty bad. I guess I was hoping someone would have a similar experience and say their cat recovered but that's probably too much to hope for...

I just took him in on Saturday and the vet said he didn't think he had congestive heart failure...he didn't hear any fluid in his lungs and he thought his labored breathing was from anemia. That was why we started giving him pet-tinic, and Charlie got very bloated right after that....I have a bad feeling that all of this might be caused by another kind of heart problem or maybe the vet was wrong and it really is CHF. There's no cure for congestive heart failure once it starts....

I know I should take him to some kind of emergency animal hospital but I'm running out of money and I don't want to put him through any more trauma. The vet said he was very weak and any kind of pain/procedures could give him a heart attack. He didn't even want to draw blood for a blood test because he thought it might be too hard on him.

I'm starting to accept that he's probably not going to live much longer and I just want him to be happy and comfortable for whatever time he has left. Thanks again fo your concern, it's nice to hear back from people who are caring for pets with the same disease.
Laura

Kitty's name Charlie

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