30/05/2026
A (long) update on my precious RUM following his cardiology appointment on Thursday.
I’ve been waiting for the written report to come through so that I could share the findings properly, but as it hasn’t arrived yet, I wanted to update everyone on what we know so far.
The scan confirmed that Rum’s heart isn’t working as it should be 😞. There are a few things going on, including thickening of parts of the heart, leaky valves, enlargement of the heart and areas where blood is pooling instead of moving around efficiently. The cardiologist feels this is probably also playing a part in the progression of his kidney disease (and dehydration, anemia and so on).
There was some good news amongst it all. The suspicious changes seen around his liver don’t appear to be anything sinister. Instead, they’re thought to be linked to the fact that his heart isn’t pumping blood around his body as effectively as it should, which is affecting how some of his organs appear on scans. His late brother, Raisin, developed liver cancer so it was somewhat of a relief to be able to rule that out at this stage with everything else going on!
As for Rum himself, he surprised us all. He was a complete legend for the cardiologist and the two students carrying out the scan. I have a feeling the Dreamies and cat yoghurt treats may have helped a little! He charmed everyone, as he always does. 🥰
Because of the severity of his heart disease and the increased risk of blood clots, the cardiologist has added two more medications to his treatment plan. Poor little man has gone from taking no medication at all to needing six medications every single day.
Despite his love of liver paste, Pill Assist, creamy treats and pretty much every other form of tasty bribery I’ve tried, he refuses to take tablets hidden in food. So it’s very much a case of “down the hatch” they go. Thankfully, he’s been a star so far and is tolerating everything incredibly well. 🤩
The fluid confirmed on his scans means that intravenous fluids are no longer a safe option for supporting his kidneys. So this morning we’re heading to our vets so that I can be signed off to give regular subcutaneous fluids at home instead. 😳
One piece of positive news is that his blood pressure is now sitting within the normal range, which shows that the medication started last week is doing exactly what we’d hoped. 👍
The cardiologist also confirmed that Rum has limited vision, likely due to a combination of his previously high blood pressure and simply being an elderly gentleman. 😕
My poor baby.
At 17½ years old, despite all this, he is still purring, still enjoying his treats, still wanting to be involved in absolutely everything and still trying to suffocate me at bedtime 🙄😊.
As “heart” related ANYTHING is excluded from his insurance, the £1,400 paid to see the cardiologist and have the scan will all be funded by me. Along with the hundreds in vet costs last week at my own vets, and the ongoing costs of all his meds. I have no clue how I’ll find the extra money to cover it all but I have no choice, I love him more than words will ever be able to say and just have to help him.
So we carry on. One day at a time, one medication at a time, doing everything we can to keep him comfortable, happy and feeling as well as possible for as long as possible.
Harley is taking his role of body guard very seriously too, as you can see, bless him!
Thank you for continuing to keep my beautiful boy in your thoughts. ❤️🩵
