What is a Grade 1 6 heart murmur in a cat?
A Grade I murmur is very soft or quiet, may only be heard intermittently, and is usually only heard in one location on the chest, while a Grade VI murmur is very loud, heard everywhere that the heart can be heard, and can be felt when a person places their hand on the chest in the area of the heart (in cardiac …
Are heart murmurs dangerous in cats?
Although a cat owner may decide to wait and do nothing other than observing his cat, this may not be a wise course of action. Cardiomyopathies and some other heart diseases associated with a murmur can develop into severe, life-threatening conditions very quickly. In some cases, sudden death may even occur.
Are heart murmurs dangerous?
Most heart murmurs aren’t serious, but if you think you or your child has a heart murmur, make an appointment to see your family doctor. Your doctor can tell you if the heart murmur is innocent and doesn’t require any further treatment or if an underlying heart problem needs to be further examined.
Is it normal for a kitten to have heart murmurs?
Some cats are born with congenital, “innocent” heart murmurs. They don’t seem to be associated with any disease, and they gradually disappear as the kitten grows older. Heart murmurs in adult cats that are not linked to a diagnosable disease are called “physiological” murmurs.
What does it mean when your heart is murmuring?
The loudest murmurs, suggesting more turbulence of the blood flow, can be heard over a wider area of the heart. Importantly, the significance of heart murmur does not depend just on the loudness: some quiet murmurs can indicate very serious disease, while some louder murmurs may be relatively benign.
When do systolic murmurs occur in a dog?
Systolic murmurs, for example, occur when the heart muscle contracts; diastolic murmurs occur when the heart muscle relaxes between beats; and continuous and to-and-fro murmurs occur throughout all or most of the cardiac cycle. Heart murmurs can occur in both dogs and cats.
Can a softer heart murmur be detectable?
A softer murmur may only be detectable in one place. It’s important to know, however, that the grade of the heart murmur does not indicate the severity of the condition. Additionally, the heart murmur may be constant, which means it’s always audible at the same level of intensity or always sounds the same.
When to refer a cat for a heart murmur?
Cats Protection will only refer a cat to a specialist if classed as grade 5 or 6. The grade of murmur does not necessarily mean heart disease is more or less severe, or even present. A murmur can occur because of another disease such as hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure or anaemia.
The loudest murmurs, suggesting more turbulence of the blood flow, can be heard over a wider area of the heart. Importantly, the significance of heart murmur does not depend just on the loudness: some quiet murmurs can indicate very serious disease, while some louder murmurs may be relatively benign.
Systolic murmurs, for example, occur when the heart muscle contracts; diastolic murmurs occur when the heart muscle relaxes between beats; and continuous and to-and-fro murmurs occur throughout all or most of the cardiac cycle. Heart murmurs can occur in both dogs and cats.
Can you breed an animal with a heart murmur?
We recommend not breeding any animal with a heart murmur. Breeding can exacerbate heart disease. Animals with heart disease may pass the condition to their offspring. Animals with heart disease should maintain a healthy weight. They should be monitored closely and taken to a veterinarian at the first sign that something is off.