Heart Murmur In Cats Uk
The life expectancy depends on the cause of the murmur.
Heart murmur in cats uk. An echocardiogram is necessary to differentiate between a heart murmur that is just due to excitement versus. Being told that your pet has a heart murmur can be very daunting. Heart murmurs are surprisingly common in cats.
Describing the murmur as significant isnt really helpful in terms of how you might agree to any treatment. Identification of gallop sound or arrhythmia may add evidence to the possibility that. Heart murmurs in cats.
Heart murmur is also known as heart arrhythmia. In some cases sudden death of affected cats can even occur. It may be insignificant however it could also be a symptom of a disease that requires treatment.
Heart ultrasound echocardiography is very helpful as it allows a view of the internal dimensions of the heart the wall thickness and the contractility of the heart to be assessed. If the cat is born with a hereditary defect in the heart wall or the valves of the heart this can cause a murmur that is present at birth. Although a murmur may signify a problem with the heart or its blood.
However this may occur with murmurs of either pathological or non-pathological causes. Many healthy cats with a heart murmur never develop any problems with their heart and go on to lead long happy and healthy lives. However the significance of a murmur very much depends upon the situation.
On its own a heart murmur is not a reliable indicator of heart function and is commonly found in healthy cats. It can also show where a heart murmur is originating from. Like others have said a murmur is a really unhelpful symptom because it can mean that the cat has heart problems like HCM or nothing at all.