Sorry for long post, but I'm so stressed right now and really don't know what to do with myself.

Our cat was not waiting for her breakfast this morning as usual. Sometimes when I am late up she goes round to the front of the house and waits by the front door, so I went to look. Saw her through the glass but as soon as she came over the threshold I knew something was really wrong.

She could not walk properly, her hind legs and one front leg seemed to give way at random. There was no blood but our first though was that she must have been hit by a car.

So, cue lots of dashing about, Mr Mazz trying to speak soothingly to cat whilst I got a towel to line the dreaded cat box and put her in.

Drove straight to the vet. They first listened to her heart & lungs - first report was that these were really strong and good and the vet would check her bones.

Then the vet came to call us for a talk. She said that cat had a really marked heart murmur and that she had been looking at her medical history. Vet was trying to tie how cat was today with the fact that she was poorly and off her food a few months ago. I said that cat had been perfectly fine in the interim, eating and happy. She said "Well the cat is walking fine now" - I responded incredulously "What - she can walk?!" to which she said "Well she's crouching".

Since when is 'crouching' walking? Vet said that the murmur could indicate strain on the heart or bleeding, but then went on to act as if there wasn't much more that needed doing apart from a blood test or two. After further discussion she said she would do x-rays but this would require general anaesthetic. I said "Please do that".

I am worried that our poor cat has a murmur because she has internal bleeding caused by fractures which is putting a strain on her heart. I would have thought that was the most obvious and urgent potential diagnosis which would need rapid action to rule it out. I didn't get that sense of urgency from the vet. I know that there were no marked external signs of trauma - but surely that doesn't rule out internal injuries altogether does it?

So I am now back home awaiting their call but feeling really worried. Are they getting on with things in a timely fashion? What if Lilly's heart give out while she is waiting for them to pull their finger out and treat her?

I've never had problems with the vet before, they've always seemed really good, but I didn't recognise the vet today and can't help feeling she acted as if we were just making a fuss about nothing. We know Lilly though and there is something seriously wrong.

Do any other FMs have similar experiences - what did you do? Did you challenge the vet?

I think you need to trust the vet at this time. It's a shame it's the weekend because I found that there are often locum vets on duty at weekends but many are very good.

If your cat had any obvious fractures the vet would be able to feel for these along the major bones. If she has been hit by a car I would be worried about internal organ injuries which may not be immediately obvious but could result in internal bleeding. The blood results will give an indication of what is happening. Just wait for these and the X rays results before you start worrying too much. I know that's easier said than done because all you can probably think of is your little cat.

It's strange that the vet initially couldn't hear the heart murmur (you said she said her heart and lungs sounded fine?) but on going through the records has become more concerned that this may be the source of the problem. Has your other vet mentioned this heart murmur to you before?

Please keep us updated, I know what a worrying and stressful time this is for you.

Poor puss I hope she turns out to be ok.

Thank you for your sensible and thoughtful advice,Marella.

No - no heart murmur has ever been mentioned before.

I think I'd be slightly more at ease if I knew they were getting on with the x-rays right away, but as I say there didn't seem to be much sense of urgency.

I think it's fine to keep challenging and questioning the vet. Most of the vets I have seen (with one notable exception) are open to this - you know your own cat and are paying the vet for the service provided. The vet has a duty of care to diagnose and treat the problem in a timely fashion, with the right degree of urgency if the situation is potentially serious.

I would personally keep hassling for answers, for explanations and possible worse case scenarios. When I brought my Tabitha to the vet last year because I felt she was off colour and not herself, the vet performed a detailed examination which didn't really reveal that much but they sent her for further tests because they said I knew my own cat and I was worried. All along they gave me possible reasons for what might be wrong. (She had cancer).

I hope you hear news soon.

You could give them a ring to see where things are up to?

Have you tried anything like this: http://www.vethelpdirect.com/ It's like NHS Direct for pets & might reassure you (or give you the confidence to challenge the vet)

Hope she is ok x

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. The link to vet help direct confirmed my concerns.

I think I will give them a ring to see whether they have done the blood tests yet and find out how things are progressing.

Heart murmurs in cats are not generally caused by blood loss - if the blood loss was that bad, the cat would have collapsed by now. They're caused by leaky heart valves that don't close properly, and allow some of the blood to leak back, by narrowing of the arteries, or in hyperthyroidism. Occasionally anaemia can cause heart murmurs in cats, but that would be a long-term process.

Don't be too hard on the vet, diagnosing animals isn't easy, as they can't tell you what they feel. The only thing you can do is lots of tests.

Thank you for the explanation Susie.

Lilly had a full screen less that 6 months ago because she was off-colour back the. Apart from some anomalies with her white blood cells, everything was normal including thyroid function, so this marked heart murmur is a bit of a surprise.

No news from the vets yet.

Hope Lilly is ok.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Lilly.

Some Petsathome stores have a vets practice inside whose hours are open 7 days a week.


piper

Well - Lilly the Mystery Cat has returned from the vet and it's mainly really good (if mystifying) news.

Blood tests were fine, she had two x-rays both of which were clear. The only thing found was the heart murmur. The vet has suggested we try watchful waiting for this. The only treatment would be daily tablets. At the moment the heart problem is not severe enough to have affected her lungs which were clear.

The vet wondered whether she had suffered a muscular injury somehow - either very low impact with a car or possibly falling off something. She has some anti-inflammatory tablets to take, but seems completely fine now. I am going to attempt the 'secreted in food' administration method tomorrow - Lilly and tablets have a torrid and stressful history.

I wonder whether she was on the roof planning to miaow pathetically outside my daughter's window (a well known ploy when the door between the utility and kitchen is shut), heard me turn the key in the lock and in her haste to get in fell off the roof.That would explain why she looked so severely injured as it would only just have happened and she would be really shocked and winded. In a way I'm really glad Mr Mazz witnessed it too, or I'd think I was losing my marbles. He's not one for histrionics and described her as 'not just walking funny, but crippled'.

I do wish she was a bit more forthcoming when asked for an explanation......

So thank you all for the sensible advice and kind words and "Phew - what a relief!".

Phew indeed! So pleased to hear she's ok.

So glad to hear your wee cat is ok x

Pleased to hear that outcome That's a relief. The vets will no doubt now monitor that heart murmur in future.

mazzy50, I know what you're going through right now and I hope you're cat will be ok I can only echo what several posters have already said trust you're vet but keep nagging them for answers.

If the cat has a definite heart murmur that persists, i.e. is still present after, say a month, that should be treated to relieve the strain on heart and kidneys. It's not necessarily something to be worried about, and treatment is very effective - our 20-year-old cat has had a heart murmur for over 2 years, he has his medication every day, and he's absolutely fine, you'd never know.

Thanks - I think we will take her for a check up in a month or so whatever happens.

She seems relatively happy today, but we have noticed the odd wobble in her back legs - nothing even remotely as frightening as yesterday, but just not as assured and graceful as usual. So I think we are going to be keeping a close eye on her anyway.