How long can a cat with heart disease live?
Once in congestive heart failure, most cats with HCM have a life expectancy of 6 and 18 months.
Is it bad if your cat has a heart murmur?
This type of murmur is benign (not harmful). Some normal adult cats may have an intermittent heart murmur that shows up when their heart rate is increased due to stress. This type of physiologic murmur disappears when the heart rate is normal, and has no impact on the cat’s health.
Is it common for kittens to have heart murmurs?
Thank you for your question. Heart murmurs in cats are not common, even as kittens. She may have what is called a physiologic murmur, that will go away as she gets older, but those are uncommon in cats. It would be best to have rechecks for her so that your veterinarian can listen to her heart and lungs, and monitor the cough.
Can a 17 year old cat have dental disease?
Tara: In the article, she tells the story of a 17-year-old cat with advanced dental disease. The cat’s caretaker was reluctant to put the cat under anesthesia because of concerns about her general health … Thomas: After all, the kitty already had kidney disease and hyperthyroidism…
What kind of heart disease does a cat have?
The most common type of acquired heart disease in the cat is cardiomyopathy (see the handouts “Cardiomyopathy in Cats” and “Heart Disease in Cats”). What extracardiac problems cause a heart murmur?
What happens when a cat has cardiomyopathy?
A thrombus (blood clot) may develop within one of the heart chambers (usually left atrium) in a cat with cardiomyopathy. This occurs mainly because the blood is not flowing normally through the heart. The thrombus, or clot, is initially attached to the wall of the heart, but may become dislodged and be carried into the blood leaving the heart.
What are the symptoms of a cat with a heart murmur?
However, the clinical signs may be subtle and inapparent until the disease becomes advanced. The most common symptoms that are observed with a cat that has a clinically significant heart murmur are poor appetite, weight loss (or stunted growth in a kitten), breathing problems, pale gums, lethargy or weakness.
Tara: In the article, she tells the story of a 17-year-old cat with advanced dental disease. The cat’s caretaker was reluctant to put the cat under anesthesia because of concerns about her general health … Thomas: After all, the kitty already had kidney disease and hyperthyroidism…
Can a cat have asymptomatic heart disease?
Asymptomatic: Heart disease in cats is detected, but there is a lack of any outward signs. Additionally, a heart murmur in cats or arrhythmia may also be present.
Can a heart murmur be a sign of heart disease?
On its own, a heart murmur is not a reliable indicator of heart disease or function and is commonly found in healthy cats. If the cause of the murmur affects the heart’s function then the underlying problem or disease will need to be treated. If the murmur does not appear to be due to a functional problem, treatment is unlikely to be necessary.