Herbie makes a full recovery.

It has only been 2 months since I had to report about Herbie being unwell and yet I have excellent news. Herbie has been for his quarterly heart scan and has actually improved!! The thickening of his heart wall has lessened and his overall cardio-vascular system is better. Don't get me wrong, this does not mean that he is back to normal but that he is responding to his medication very well. His abscess has cleared up and he is back to his handsome self as well !!

David, his vet, has said that lots of people have given up on their pets for lesser illnesses than this so a big pat on the back to us I say.

A merry Yule to one and all !!

Blimey ! Is it time of year again, already?? Tree and I have been so busy of late we haven't had time to notice that December has creapt upon us.
I started my new job on the 1st and within a couple of days came down with a horrible viral infection that had already put Tree out of action for a week. Not good when you are working in a high dependency unit! I am happy to say that, a week later, I am on the mend with just a nasty cough to shift.
Herbie is on the mend too and just looks a bit odd with a shaved face. Quite comical really.
We have also been working hard on the house and getting carpet put down in the bedroom so we can move back in to it.
Otherwise, not a lot has been happening apart from lots of wrapping up on the sofa with hot drinks and medicine. Exciting life!
Tomorrow we dress the tree which will put me in the Yule frame of mind. But in the meantime, I wish everyone a very merry Yule. May your wishes be fulfilled and your bellies too!

Two steps forward, one back.

Following on from the progress of Herbie and his heart condition, I have to report that he has managed to get into a scrap and come off the worse for wear. The first we noticed was when his face swelled up with a lump the size of an egg and he became quite subdued. We took him to the vets and he confirmed that it was an abscess as we suspected. Herbie had to be sedated under general anaesthetic to have it lanced and we feared he would not survive this procedure. But this is Herbie we are talking about and he bounced back from the operation. The only problem we had was that the site of injury had to be kept open to drain and this meant covering all of the carpets and furniture to protect it against the blood that was continually oozing out. The photo says it all I think. Anyway, he is back to normal now, the cut has healed nicely and the covers are off. I thought pets were supposed to be relaxing for their owners!!

Herbie rides again!!

The title of this blog will be lost on a lot of readers but I'm just showing my age! Anyway, Herbie is doing okay on his medicine, which I have to dose twice a day no less, and now spends his time either eating or sleeping. He is very comfortable and knows his limitations, regarding going out and defending his territory, so his world now revolves around the confines of the garden. The computer chair by the pot belly stove has been taken over and a lot of time is spent standing at the computer so as not to disturb him.

Understandably, his lifespan is considerably shorter but its more about the quality of his life and he is definitely enjoying the fuss being made at the moment!!

Herbie update.

Well the weekend has come and gone and Herbie, I am glad to say, has managed to make it through. We are still a long way from being, relatively, in the clear and careful monitoring of his condition will become a part of our daily routine. Bearing in mind that he could suffer a heart attack at any time, I have learnt to perform feline CPR, something I would never have imagined in my lifetime. He is back to his grumpy self and is desperate to go outdoors. We go to the vets tonight and should find out the prognosis for his condition. Fingers crossed he can go outside!!!

A bit of a scare.

Tree and I were only saying on Thursday night how we were coping quite well with the credit crunch and that as long as the cats, or the car, stayed okay we would be alright. We then heard a chilling sound as Herbie lay on the floor, eyes glazed and made a low wailing sound. This sound was one of the most distressing things I have ever heard and we were both sure that he was dying right in front of us. His tongue lolled out and he was panting for breath. I fetched the cat box and he was as limp as a ragdoll when I scooped him up.However, on arrival at the vets, he soon seemed to recover enough to be examined. The vet checked him all over and couldn't find any immediate damage. He instructed us to take him home and monitor his condition. As soon as we got him home, Herbie had another episode as bad as the first. The following day we returned to the vets and this time we saw a different vet called Isobelle. She said they would take him in for observation. By the afternoon we had a call to say to come and collect him as he showed no ill effects. This was followed by another call to say he had had an episode and they would like to speak to us. I feared the worst and was relieved to see him alive on the night-time visit. She recommended blood tests and a heart scan thinking that poisoning could be a factor. The next day we got the bad news. Herbie has a serious heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This is a thickening of the heart walls that constricts the amount of blood going through the heart (detailed information can be found here). This is known as the silent killer and we accepted the worst. We were also told he had fluid on the lungs. We were given tablets and told he would be lucky to live the weekend. The next few days and nights I stayed with him and comforted him as he had several episodes, or mini heart attacks, each time thinking this would be it. All he could manage to do was lay still and labour his breathing. Our main concern was that he was not eating and this would be the death of him. By Saturday night he was responding to the tablets and the episodes stopped, however, he still had no energy. Our spirits raised though when he ate for the first time later on Saturday night. It is now Sunday and he has perked up no end. His breathing is normal and he even jumped up on the bed for a cuddle this morning. I managed the first few hours of sleep in days and feel better to cope with it all as well. We are not out of the woods though and he could still go at any time. The main thing is to accept that every day is now a bonus for Herbie and to keep his quality of life at the forefront of our minds. He has eaten several times and even got grumpy with me when he had to have his morning tablets! A good sign!!

Special thanks go out to Isobelle the vet who has asked for daily updates on his health and to Tree's mum who lent us the small mortgage to pay for his treatment, running at about £400 so far.

Isobelle now says that he could live two days or two years, no-one knows. Some even live for five or more.I will keep you updated!!