Chylothorax

[Angeladeedah]

If I remember rightly, I used to crush Sam's rutin (he had HCM  and we used the rutin to help prevent the chylous fluid that had built up) with a pestle and mortar and mix it into some pate, or sometimes philadelphia cheese, don't know if that would work for Harvey? Which rutin brand are you using? I used to use Lifeplan 60mg rutin, the tablets are round and not too huge.

Harvey's supposed to be on 3 x 500mg rutin tablets a day!! They are massive.  I might be better to look at the smaller ones, and at least that way he would be getting at least some of it.  I even cut the tablets down into quarters but he still gags on them - and cutting them into quarters means he needs to take 12 of them, on top of the other tablets he has to take each day.  It's just too much for him.

I bought a pill crusher, thinking that might help - but because the tablets are that huge, they create too much powder and I still can't find a way doing that for him to take it.

[Angeladeedah]

Have you tried using pill pockets to hide his tablets?

Ooh, not heard of pill pockets - what are they? And do you just feed them to the cat too?

[Gillian Harvey]

If I remember rightly, I used to crush Sam's rutin (he had HCM  and we used the rutin to help prevent the chylous fluid that had built up) with a pestle and mortar and mix it into some pate, or sometimes philadelphia cheese, don't know if that would work for Harvey? Which rutin brand are you using? I used to use Lifeplan 60mg rutin, the tablets are round and not too huge.

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Have you tried using pill pockets to hide his tablets?

[Angeladeedah]

Thanks Gill.  I had discussed it with the cardiologist last time I seen him and we were going to see how I got on in the next few months, but as well as the fact he gags, he runs away from me and hides if he thinks I'm going to force tablets down him.   I don't want it to get to the point where he won't come near me either because he's too scared.  I can get him to take his antenolol (he has a heart murmur also) and his furosemide but struggle with the rutin.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am sorry I know nothing about this but do agree with a happy cat for a shorter time as opposed to a stressed out cat who is suffering from stress all the time.

My vets have always agreed with decisions like this and you may find your vet does too 

[Angeladeedah]

I just wondered if there were any other members whose cats have been diagnosed with chylothorax.  My Harvey was diagnosed last May and he's on furosemide/rutin for it. 

I wondered how other members were getting on getting their cats to take the rutin - I'm really struggling with Harvey.  He doesn't eat wet food so not able to hide it in that and he gags on the tablets, no matter how small I cut them down into.  It's at the point where his tummy is getting extremely bald from overgrooming, a sign of stress.......and it only started when his tablet intake increased.   So, I'm thinking that I want to make the time he does have left here a happy one, not stressful and I'm thinking about giving up the rutin.