Notice if your cat is sleeping more than usual. Instead of just a morning and afternoon nap, it is sleeping all day long? Does your cat avoid activities that it used to enjoy, such as playing with a string or laser pointer? This could be a sign that it is having some health problems.
If you witness these symptoms you should take your cat in for a vet check.
If your cat is experiencing these symptoms, take it to the veterinarian immediately. Call the veterinary clinic on the way there so that they can prepare for your arrival.
For cats over the age of 12 years, a twice yearly check up is advisable to spot problems such as cardiomyopathy as quickly as possible.
A rapid, galloping heart rate is a sign of heart disease. This is a sign that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump blood throughout the body.
An ultrasound allows both the thickness of the heart wall to be measured and the contraction strength of the heart to be gauged.
Diuretics: These are drugs, such as furosemide, decrease fluid within the body. This helps to get rid of fluid that has accumulated in or around the lungs, which makes breathing more difficult. The vet may give this by injection in a sick patient, and, once stabilized, continue the treatment with tablets given at home. ACE inhibitors: These are drugs, such as benazepril, which increase the size of small blood vessels in the body. This means there is less resistance each time the heart pumps, making it easier for blood to flow around the entire body. Beta-blockers: Beta-blocker drugs, such as propranolol, help to reduce the rate of a racing heart. This gives it a chance to fill more fully and thus pump more effectively. Calcium channel blockers: These drugs, such as diltiazem, help the heart muscle to relax in between beats. This makes for better filling and more efficient pumping of the heart. Aspirin: This should only ever be given under the direction of your vet. Aspirin is toxic to cats but is safe at an ultra-low dosage when given every three days. It is mainly used to prevent blood clots in cats at high risk of them.
Be aware that recovery may not be permanent. Cats that have problems that are caught early, diagnosed, and put on appropriate treatment often go on to lead happy lives for months or years after diagnosis. Cats that are very sick when the disease is caught do less well, but there is a chance of stabilization.
The right side of the heart takes in blood from the body that no longer has oxygen in it, as it has been used up by the body. The heart then pumps this deoxygenated blood into the lungs so it can be filled with oxygen once again. The left side then pumps the newly oxygenated blood out into the body, through the arteries.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: This is by far the most common form of cardiomyopathy. “Hypertrophic” is a term that refers to a thickening of the heart muscle. Thicker walls in the heart means that the chambers that hold blood become smaller, due to the walls taking up more space. With smaller chambers holding less blood, each heartbeat pumps out less blood into the body. Restricted cardiomyopathy: This condition is caused by a build-up of scar tissue on a chamber of the heart, the ventricle. This restricts the relaxation, filling, and pumping of the heart. Dilated cardiomyopathy: This is a type of muscle fatigue, where the heart muscles gets tired and becomes baggy and saggy. Think of it as a balloon that’s been blown up and let down too many times. The muscular wall loses tone, meaning that it has less powerful contractions and is less efficient at pushing blood around the body.
Genetic predisposition: Certain breeds (especially the Main Coon) get heart disease more often, which is then passed down from parent to kitten when they have babies. Underlying disease: Conditions such as overactive thyroid glands, acromegaly (too much growth hormone), or high blood pressure place extra strain on the heart and can push it into developing cardiomyopathy. Dietary deficiency: A lack of taurine, a type of amino acid, in the cat’s diet can affect its heart. However, most cats eating high-quality commercial cat food should not have this deficiency. This deficiency causes the heart to lose elasticity, which is known as dilated cardiomyopathy. [16] X Research source Spreading Disease: A spreading disease, such as lymphoma (blood cancer), can get in to the heart muscle and cause it to have a hard time functioning correctly.
