I found out recently that Lubya has a heart murmur. Seems as if the condition is not uncommon in male cats; it tends to show up in them between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. Lubya is almost 6 now.
Here’s my dilemma: The vet says start him on a daily regimen of St. Joseph’s aspirin and two other meds. Additionally, he’d need two vet visits each year to check his heart. That procedure involves shaving his chest, anesthesizing him (which has its own risks), and taking a picture of his heart. In short, a wholly traumatic and risky medical maneuver.
A couple weeks back I spoke to a very knowledgeable person who runs a pet store on Martha’s Vineyard. Her advice: Just feed him the best food possible. See food as medicine. Not that this would cure the heart murmur but it would keep him healthy and hopefully slow down any deterioration. Really the same as the meds.
What a dilemma!!! Anyone out there facing a similar situation with your cat? I’d love to hear from you.
—Anne Simpkinson
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