Cardiovascular disease can afflict cats of all ages, young and old alike. Young cats may be born with deformed hearts, whereas adult and geriatric cats are prone to certain diseases specific to cats. Cats are not likely to experience myocardial infarction due to the positioning of their coronary arteries.
Congenital heart defects are not common in felines, though when they do appear, they are often very serious, retarding growth, limiting activity, and causing cyanosis (bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes) with even minimal exertion. Cats suffering from a heart defect often die at a young age. The most common deformities include ventricular septal defects, atrial septal defects, aortic stenosis, deformed tricuspid valves and patent ductus arteriosus. Many other abnormalities also exist.
There are relatively rare in cats, and are caused by irregular contraction of the heart. Tachycardia is a faster than normal heart rate. Its opposite, brachycardia, is a slower than normal heart rate. Heart contractions may be irregular, premature, or late. Symptoms vary considerably. Some cats may show almost no outward signs, whereas others may suffer serious respiratory distress. Some antiarrhythmic medications, if carefully administered, may be used to treat these types of disorders in cats.
It's a disease of unknown etiology of the heart muscle. It causes hypertrophy (overgrowth) or dilation of the heart. Using an ultrasound, a veterinarian can distinguish between the three types -hypertrophic, dilated, restrictive- of cardiomyopathy by analyzing the changes to the heart muscle and cavities. Similar heart lesions are seen in primary myocardial diseases and other disorders such as taurine deficiency and hyperthyroid.
The different types of cardiomyopathy have similar symptoms. General symptoms include appetite loss, weakness, and sometimes vomiting. Symptoms more specific to cardiomyopathy are those related to left-sided heart failure (labored breathing, wheezing, and cough) or right-sided heart failure (shortness of breath and ascitesÑaccumulation of serous fluid within the abdominal cavity). A cat having difficulty breathing will present exaggerated breathing movements, sometimes assuming the characteristic crouch with front legs tucked in close to the chest, and breathing through the mouth. If a clot detaches, the cat may suffer an iliac thromboembolism.
In cases where the cause of the cardiomyopathy is known (hyperthyroid, taurine deficiency), the underlying illness is treated. Cardiomyopathies of unknown origin are treated with various classes of medications, including diuretics, vasodilators, more specifically conversion enzyme inhibitors, and sometimes digitalis-like drugs. Rest, stress management, and a reduced-salt diet are also important to treatment.
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