Forest is Negative

Forest tested negative for FIV/Felk today. However, the vet did hear a heart murmur. He says he hears a lot of heart murmurs in cats. Some never ever cause a problem. Others, end up killing the kitten.

A heart murmur can be caused by anemia even, from parasites, or dehydration, the vet reminded me. Or, from enlarged heart chambers, holes in the heart wall, leaking valves. There's no way to know the cause without an echocardiogram, that cost over $500, or to know if this is nothing or something.

He was concerned about the fluid filled belly because, in combo with a heart murmur, that could mean her heart is defective. He took a complimentary X-ray which showed fluid in the belly but none in the chest, making him believe this is parasite caused belly and maybe even murmur. Her neart size looked normal in the X-ray, he said, as did everything else.

I told him about the problem with the pyrantel I bought, of it being thin as water. He said "Someone watered that down before selling it." He wanted to see it so next week, I'll take it in. I have received no response to my inquiries sent to the Amazon seller on the nature of this pyrantel.

The vet gave Forest some complimentary pyrantel. Within moments she was exhibiting the signs of a kitten distressed by dying worms, the repeated swallowing, the lurching belly.

I am angry I was sold bad pyrantel. I even poured the contents out into a jar, to see if most had settled, as I'm used to seeing in bottles of pyrantel, to the bottom, until well shaken. There was nothing stuck at the bottom of this bottle.

I don't know if is bad because it was watered down by the seller or if it was a bad batch from the manufacturer. I will now try to contact the manufacturer. Well, next week I will. But I want the vet to see it first.

So, there is good and bad news on Forest. The heart murmur of unknown origin is one thing, and may be nothing, as is the case most generally. The good news is she is negative. Her big belly, if FIP, would already have killed her, since she was so starved and has been here now two months. She'd be dead if it was wet FIP caused.

Fluid accumulation causing a bloated out belly in kittens is most often roundwormed caused. It can take, however, up to a month, for that belly to recede, once the worms are gone. That's because the fluid problem is due to protein imbalance caused by the worms eating all the food, and this takes time to resolve once the worms are out.

I will also consider the possibility of whipworm, since she came from terrible living conditions. Whipworms do not normally afflict cats but can. Cattyhop had them.