Does hypertrophic cardiomyopathy show up on ECG?
The classic ECG finding in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is large dagger-like “septal Q waves” in the lateral — and sometimes inferior — leads due to the abnormally hypertrophied interventricular septum. Criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy is usually present.
Can cardiomyopathy be detected by an ECG?
Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG): An EKG records the heart’s electrical activity, showing how fast the heart is beating and whether its rhythm is steady or irregular. An EKG can be used to detect cardiomyopathy as well as other problems, including heart attacks, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and heart failure.
What happens if cardiomyopathy goes untreated?
If untreated, cardiomyopathy can weaken the heart, leading to more serious conditions, including lessened blood flow, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), problems with the heart’s valves and heart failure.
What happens to the heart in a cat with HCM?
In cats suffering from HCM, the walls of the heart become progressively thicker and thicker. The thickening of the heart mainly affects the left ventricle, the chamber that pumps blood out through the aorta to the rest of the body.
How old do cats have to be to get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
Cats of either sex can be affected, although males are typically affected more than females. Although the disease has been reported in cats ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years, most cases occur in middle age, usually between the ages of 4 and 8. The clinical signs of HCM can vary greatly from cat to cat.
What kind of tests are done on cats with HCM?
X-rays, an electrocardiogram (EKG) and echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound) are the common diagnostic tests performed on animals with suspected heart disorders. For cats with HCM, x-rays tend to be of limited usefulness. X-rays tend to be normal in the early stages of the disease.
What’s the average life span of a HCM cat?
Two large studies have looked at survival times for cats diagnosed with HCM. Both studies reach the same conclusion: cats that develop a blood clot do the worst; those that survive their initial 24 hours have a median survival time of 2 to 6 months. Cats with congestive heart failure fare somewhat better, surviving for 3 to 18 months.
When do you Know Your Cat has HCM?
Unfortunately, a fair number cats are discovered to have HCM when they present to the veterinarian already in congestive heart failure. An even more upsetting (and dire) scenario is the discovery that a cat has HCM when it presents as an emergency with sudden painful hind limb paralysis.
Cats of either sex can be affected, although males are typically affected more than females. Although the disease has been reported in cats ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years, most cases occur in middle age, usually between the ages of 4 and 8. The clinical signs of HCM can vary greatly from cat to cat.
What happens to the heart of a cat with DCM?
It is characterized by dilated, or enlarged heart chambers, and reduced contraction ability. That is, a reduced ability to push blood out of the respective ventricle. DCM causes the heart to become overloaded, and will often lead to congestive heart failure. Before 1987, DCM was one of the most common heart diseases in cats.
Is it normal for a cat to have an ECG?
electrocardiography. ECG is the gold standard for assessment of arrhythmias (and the least expensive of the diagnostics mentioned), but is relatively insensitive for detection of heart enlargement and dysfunction. Thus, many cats with underlying cardio- myopathy will have a normal ECG.