My cat has IBD, heart murmur, and cough. What else can I do for her?

There is nothing you can really do that is natural at home. The medication provided by your veterinarian is the best to help Moo live the best life he can with all of his issues. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm sorry to hear that Mercedes is sick. If IBD or GI lymphoma is suspected the next steps may be ultrasound or even biopsy. Biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis of IBD. However, I will frequently treat if it is strongly suspected on ultrasound. If IBD is confirmed it's worth doing a trial of a prescription GI diet. Although a/d is a good recovery diet it is probably not the best one to use as a maintenance diet if IBD is suspected. It would also be worth giving your veterinarian a call to see if they can give a Cerenia injection. This will help to resolve the vomiting and can be continued if necessary. Vitamin B12 injections can also be helpful when a cat is experiencing GI distress and will be needed if IBD is confirmed. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to Mercedes!

Bonus would need a cardiac exam including ultrasound to determine the cause of her heart murmur and possible prognosis or treatment. Heart murmurs can because by defects with in the heart itself, pulmonary hypertension, or patent ductus arteriosus among other things. In a cat there is no way to determine what is causing the murmur without doing imaging of the heart. Each potential cause may have a different treatment or prognosis. Cost for an exam and cardiac work up can vary by region and also individual veterinary clinic. There may also be a difference in fees based on whether the exam was performed by a general practitioner or a veterinary cardiologist. I would recommend starting with a local general practitioner veterinarian for physical exam and wellness assessment. From there they can make recommendations as to your next step or possible referral if recommended. I would strongly recommend trying to prevent her from becoming pregnant again until you know her heart condition, as pregnancy and labor can severely stress the heart. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry to hear that Lily has been so sick. Based on the bloodwork that you've provided, it looks as though in addition to elevated liver values, she's also quite anemic (low red blood cell count). It is important to determine why Lily is experiencing this degree of liver disease. Given her relatively young age, issues like infectious diseases are most likely, but cancer or other immune-mediated issues are also possible. I would recommend asking your vet about running some testing for different infectious diseases, like Mycoplasma, Bartonella or Cytauxzoon. In the meantime, also ask your vet if Lily is at the point where she needs a blood transfusion to manage her anemia. This decision is based on vital parameters, exam findings, as well as her hematocrit (HCT). You may also want to ask your vet if Lily looks as though she needs a diuretic, like furosemide, to remove excess fluid from in and around her lungs. Lily's medical case sounds quite complicated, so I'd recommend seeking out a second opinion on her care, if available. You can also ask your vet to contact veterinary internal medicine specialists if they need more specific advice for her diagnostics and treatments. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

Hi there! We have an article about heart murmurs in cats that may help answer some of your questions: https://www.petcoach.co/article/heart-murmurs-in-cats-what-you-should-know/ Further testing with your vet, as well as a recheck in a few weeks to see if the murmur has changed can help you both better figure out the cause and see if anything needs to be done to try and help. Life expectancy varies greatly on what's causing the murmur to begin with, and if there are any other health issues complicating it.

Congrats on your new pet! Adoption is a wonderful thing. When Winston sees your veterinarian, discuss diagnostics to confirm and establish a baseline for his condition. Common tests may include chest x-rays to assess cardiac size and an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to assess cardiac architecture and function. The echo, more than any other diagnostic, will determine if he will need medication to manage his condition. You can read more about cardiac conditions at this link: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/HeartDisease.cfm

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This probably just means that her IBD is no longer being controlled on the current medications and she just needs further management of her condition. I highly recommend that you have reevaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. At the very least they can make sure to treat her symptoms so that you can get her to feel better. They can also add medications to try to get her condition under control again. Good luck!