In many situations, if a heart murmur has been detected on a routine examination, but the cat is not showing signs of problems, careful monitoring is the best option. When a young kitten is diagnosed with heart disease, diagnostic testing will help determine what the prognosis is and whether medical treatment is necessary. At this time, few congenital heart abnormalities in the cat other than patent ductus arteriosus (see below) can be surgically corrected. The specific treatment will depend on the cause of the heart disease. In some cases, if your veterinarian suspects that the heart murmur is secondary to another disease, more extensive tests may be recommended. This generally involves X-rays, electrical recording of the heart (ECG), and ultrasound examination (echocardiography). How is congenital heart disease diagnosed?ĭepending on the murmur and the degree of clinical signs, further testing may be advised to determine the cause. Normal cats can have intermittent heart murmurs, often when their heart rate is increased due to stress, and these physiologic murmurs have no impact on their health. Some may reflect another disease process such as anemia. Not all heart murmurs are associated with heart disease. The loudness of the murmur reflects the amount of turbulence but is not indicative of the severity of the disease. This causes a heart murmur that is often detected during a routine physical examination of the kitten. In both circumstances, blood flows abnormally through the defect, causing turbulence. The two most common types of congenital heart disease are malformations of a valve or a septal defect in the wall that divides the right and left sides of the heart (a ‘hole in the heart’). What type of congenital heart disease occurs in cats? sudden hind leg paralysis accompanied by pain due to thromboembolism (blood clots) which may be referred to as a ‘saddle thrombus’.The most common signs of heart disease in cats are: With advancing disease and declining exercise tolerance, cats tend to become more withdrawn, hide under furniture and sleep more. Exercise intolerance does occur but can be difficult to recognize since cats rarely go for walks or engage in sustained physical activity with their owners. Unlike humans and dogs with heart disease, cats rarely cough if they have heart disease. Most cats do not display any clinical signs until the disease is advanced. What are the signs of heart disease in cats? The most common type of heart disease in cats is adult onset hypertrophic (enlargement or thickening of the heart) cardiomyopathy (see handout "Cardiomyopathy in Cats"). Heart disease is less common in cats than in dogs. the electrical conducting system which acts to initiate and transfer electrical impulses around the heart allowing it to contract or beat in a systematic and coordinated fashionĪny or all of these parts can be affected by heart disease.the pericardium which is a tough membrane surrounding and protecting the heart.the heart valves which act to prevent the blood going in the wrong direction.the heart muscle which pumps the blood around the body.The heart can be divided into 4 functional components: What is the structure of the heart and how is it affected by heart disease? In some cases, adult onset heart disease develops as a secondary problem, with the primary problem being in some other area of the body such as the thyroid gland. ![]() ![]() The exact cause of most types of adult onset heart disease is unknown, although genetics and lifestyle (weight, physical activity, and diet) may play an important role. The most common type of adult onset disease in the cat is cardiomyopathy, a disease affecting the heart muscle. Some cases of apparent adult onset heart disease can be due to a hereditary condition that progresses as the cat ages, eventually causing problems. Congenital heart disease may also involve a genetic or hereditary disorder, in which case the problem may develop in more than one kitten in the litter.Īdult onset heart disease can occur as the result of damage to the heart structure at some time during the cat's life, resulting in abnormal function. This type of congenital heart disease may only affect a single kitten in the litter. "In congenital disease, the heart defect is present at birth."Ĭongenital heart disease may be caused by a developmental problem that causes malformation of the heart as the embryo develops.
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