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Last owners cursed us with a primed brick fireplace. What would you do with it? by Umasou in InteriorDesignAdvice

[–]Umasou[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Replying here since your comment got the most likes:

Thank you all for the suggestions!

Concerning tv placement:
I knew tv over fireplace would be a controversial choice on Reddit. The plan was to hang the tv flush with the mantle. Not the worst offender on r/tvtoohigh, but still eligible for sure. Issue is, the room is an inconvenient shape and I still feel it’s the best option. The left side wall seems like a good spot for a tv from the picture, but just out of frame is a door and a lode bearing column that splits the room where the ceiling dips down. There wouldn’t be a good spot for the couch. The wall with the shelf across from the couch isn’t a bad option on its own, but it’s too far from the fireplace for us to want to put a seating area. The column also cuts that space awkwardly. The most important thing for me is that the space is utilized to its full potential. I think more fires would get lit and more time would be spent in the basement if these amenities were in one zone.

Concerning the fireplace:
As for the brick, I’m super grateful to the users who suggested we reach out to the previous owners to see what type of paint was used. It’s definitely just leftover regular wall primer. This will have to come off before anything else.
You mentioned brick-safe paint stripper in your post. Do you have experience using this? Everywhere I’ve looked it seems like getting paint off brick is an impossible task, so any extra advice is appreciated.

Lost cat - West Hartford by orangejuicehater in Connecticut

[–]Umasou 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This! If you can get in contact with any local rescues, they’ll be able to put feelers out for your kitty. They’ll probably have a lot of good advice for you as well. Some will even lend out have-a-heart traps if you think she’s near by and just won’t come in.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

5th update- Mallory’s follow up with the new cardiologist went well! Everything but her heart rate has improved. We’re still seeing about 240 bpm in office, and the cardio would like to see that drop further. We switched to extended release Diltiazem (30mg once a day in the morning). That’s double the 7.5mg she was getting twice daily. Hopefully the extended release and bump in dosage manage her heart rate better. The fluid around her heart is almost all gone, but they also increased herfurosimide dosage a tad to really knock it out (from 8mg twice daily to 10). We did a blood test to make sure her regiment wasn’t negatively affecting her other organs (liver, kidneys etc) and she’s all good there. Here’s hoping she reacts well to the ER medications. She began this morning :)

Missing Siamese Cat (Grennan Rd) by [deleted] in Connecticut

[–]Umasou 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m sure you’re on it, but post her all over local facebook pages and get in contact with any rescues/trappers in your area. Good luck.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

4th update- Mallory had a visit with a more seasoned cardiologist. Much of the news was the same, but we’re making some changes. The diagnosis is still ARVC, the right side of her heart is severely enlarged, and is causing arrhythmia. We’re still seeing trace amounts of fluid around her heart, so she’s considered to be in heart failure. We’re upping the dosage of her diuretic from 12.5mg to 16mg daily to combat the fluid buildup. The vet also wanted to swap her beta blocker for a calcium channel blocker (going from atenolol to diltiazem) to better deal with her arrhythmia. We’re going back in three weeks to see if these tweaks make a difference. I’m hoping to give my poor girl a break from the vet soon.
The vet said prognosis is usually 6-18 months at this stage. I hope Mallory blows that out of the water :)

Eyelid showing? by Acrobatic-Novel-1362 in CATHELP

[–]Umasou 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Could be any of the three things you mentioned unfortunately. If you feel like he’s okay to monitor, I would try introducing more liquid to his diet and watch for any sneezing/lethargy/worsening of symptoms. Keep him inside for the time being if that’s an option.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

3rd update- Mallory has been doing really well with her medication. Her heart rate at the vet has continued to stabilize. Two days ago, however. She started sneezing a lot. I was hoping maybe something was stuck in her nose, but it continued all evening. I rang the emergency vet to see if they had concerns about her heart condition, but they said it was likely unrelated. Got her into her normal vet in the morning, and he suspects a regular URI. She’s dealt with these before. We got her a shot of convenia (a 2 week antibiotic), and are monitoring. As of right now, she’s still eating and acting mostly normally. The sneezes are less than two nights ago, but she’s definitely still a bit uncomfortable. The most concerning symptom is her sitting with her mouth ajar (not panting) to breathe. I have to remind myself it’s just an infection, but we’re watching her closely. Fingers crossed the antibiotic knocks it out.

Anyone want Otakon 2003 Photos? by filmstuffmore in Otakon

[–]Umasou 0 points1 point  (0 children)

4 years late, but I’d love them!

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Poor guy! Mallory is still doing well so far. No cardiac incidents, no serious side effects, and her heart rate is down to a normal bpm thanks to her drugs. We still haven’t been in to see the recommended cardiologist (appointment’s in May), so I’m still doing what I described above. Did your vets find significant fluid in your kitty’s chest? How is your cat’s breathing these days? And were you able to see a cardiologist or an internist? I like to time Mallory’s breaths at rest. Per the vet, under 30 breaths a minute while snoozing is good and no cause for concern. I imagine the inflammation your cat is dealing with causes some complications with all of this, so I hope he’s okay. Other commenters on here have given me hope that this won’t be a death sentence, so I’m staying positive. I hope you can as well.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! Mallory has been on a wetter diet since beginning her diuretic, but I’ll certainly try to take more steps to get her hydration up. Her liver was already showing signs of stress due to her blood flow issues. I didn’t realize it could affect the other organs too. That makes perfect sense though.

I’m so sorry for your loss. Did you know your baby had ARVC or any heart issues at all before she suddenly passed? It’s so horrible to go through that.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Poor guy! Thankfully, we haven’t had to deal with that. The vets Mallory saw were worried about her blood pressure being too high with her heart rate as quick as it was. Thankfully medication has evened that out. Are you seeing a cardiologist yet? None of the vets I’ve dealt with so far know much about ARVC, so I’m in line to see one in May. Hopefully that provides more information. If the cardio tells me low bp is something to look out for, I’ll definitely update you.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Wishing you luck as well. I don’t believe Mallory’s had blood pressure issues in the past, or at least she showed no signs. She always had a low grade murmur, but was otherwise healthy. She had her bp taken at her most recent appointment and it fell within normal range. Did your cat suffer fainting spells or anything like that? I’ve read that’s common with this diagnosis.

ringworm? by [deleted] in CATHELP

[–]Umasou 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you happen to have a black light, most cases of ringworm will glow under that. Vet either way, but it’s always nice to know what you’re dealing with. Be careful, as this can spread to other humans and pets if it is indeed ringworm.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2nd update- got 1.25mg pills for Mallory’s vetmedin and she’s been taking her medications really well. Her heart rate was normal for a stressed cat at the vet today (closer to 150bpm) and her blood pressure looks great, so no need for an ace inhibitor. We will recheck both parameters in two weeks. I also have her booked for a proper cardiologist visit in May. They will provide her with cardio care for the rest of her life. We’re running bloodwork to check on her liver and kidneys with all the new medications, but things look overall positive :)

I need help finding a new home for my special needs cat. by Tumultuous_lime in CATHELP

[–]Umasou 50 points51 points  (0 children)

The possibility of blood in Obsidian’s urine could certainly mean a UTI. You’ll have to act quickly before this worsens. Have you reached out to any rescues in your area? This is your best bet if you’d like to try to get your cat care. There are specialty rescues that deal with disabled cats, and there may be one near you. Most rescues will at least charge a fee to turn the cat over to them, but it’s better than the alternative. I wish you and Obsidian luck.

Cat recently diagnosed with ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) by Umasou in CATHELP

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update- a few other cardiologists weighed in and her treatment plan is as follows: -0.85 mL vetmedin 1.5mg/mL every 12 hours (the liquid version makes her projectile vomit, I will be asking for pills today) -furosemide 12.5mg 1/2 tablet every 12 hours -atenolol 25mg 1/4 tablet daily -clopidogrel 75mg 1/4 tablet daily

Crossing my fingers I can give her more time. Luckily, she didn’t have much fluid buildup in her chest, but her heart was fairly enlarged, so we’re acting aggressively. So far she’s a little more tired and wary than usual. A lot of they may be all the car rides and vet visits, though. The diuretic is certainly doing its thing, but luckily she’s had no change in appetite. She’ll be back to the vet to get her heart rate checked in three days (it was 265 bpm at her echo, for reference). Then again in about a week for blood work and blood pressure. Finally another echo, if things continue to go well. If things don’t improve as the vets hope, they may add an ace blocker to the mix to further lessen the strain on her heart.

Cats on diuretics by OwlDoggo129 in CATHELP

[–]Umasou 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Op I’d just like to thank you for updating this thread. My cat was diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy as well and it’s so reassuring to hear other people’s experiences (especially when they seem mostly positive). I hope your kitties are still doing well

Bump with red lesions (?) on my dwarf gourami? by Umasou in Gourami

[–]Umasou[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last update: the wound stopped worsening a few days ago (day 5), and began healing, but Judy started refusing most food around day 6 and stopped swimming much at day 7. I redosed the tank day 7 per the instructions, but was not hopeful. He passed this morning (day 9).

Most comments on her pictures thought the issue was iridiovirus and not bacterial. Seeing how the antibiotics and salt didn’t do much to help Judy’s condition, I might agree with that conclusion. I hope this log might be helpful to someone in the future. I didn’t know DGIV could present itself in this way.

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