Can hyperthyroidism in cats cause heart murmur?
Thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy may develop because the heart enlarges and thickens to meet the increased metabolic demands. In some cases, the cat will develop a heart murmur associated with the cardiomyopathy. Both cardiomyopathy and hypertension are potentially reversible with appropriate treatment of the disease.
What is the average lifespan of a cat with a heart murmur?
It is not unusual for patients to become symptomatic without any suspicion of previous heart disease. Once in congestive heart failure, most cats with HCM have a life expectancy of 6 and 18 months.
Can cats get heart murmur later in life?
Heart murmurs in cats may be related to structural heart disease. 1 Your cat may have been born with a heart defect—known as congenital heart disease—such as pulmonic stenosis or patent ductus arteriosus. It’s also possible that your cat acquired heart disease later in life.
What can cause heart murmur in cats?
In cats, common causes for heart murmurs include:
- Hyperthyroidism (an excess of thyroid hormone)
- High blood pressure.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart muscle walls)
- Heart valve deficiencies or blockages.
- Defects in the heart walls.
- Blood clots within the heart.
- Heartworm disease (rare)
- Anemia.
How bad is a heart murmur in a cat?
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.
Do heart murmurs in cats go away?
The murmur may first appear at 6-8 weeks of age, and a kitten with an innocent heart murmur will usually outgrow it by about 4-5 months of age. 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.
Can a cat with a heart murmur have hyperthyroidism?
If your cat has a heart murmur and your vet suspects hypertrophic cardiomyopathy because of hyperthyroidism, consider yourself lucky. That’s because your cat was diagnosed. Unfortunately, for many cat owners the first sign of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is finding their pet dead.
What happens if a cat has hyperthyroidism?
This generally involves a benign tumor on the thyroid glands. Since these hormones help regulate much of Puffy’s metabolism, overproduction can lead to problems not only with his heart, but with his kidneys and liver. In addition to heart disease, cats suffering from hyperthyroidism might be diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure.
When does a cat have the loudest heart murmur?
Most murmurs are also characterized by their location, or where they are the loudest. The vast majority of murmurs in the cat occur during systole, the phase of the heart cycle when the heart is contracting to pump blood out.
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?
If your cat has a heart murmur and your vet suspects hypertrophic cardiomyopathy because of hyperthyroidism, consider yourself lucky. That’s because your cat was diagnosed. Unfortunately, for many cat owners the first sign of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is finding their pet dead.
How old is my cat with Hart murmur?
My cat is 16 years old and was just diagnosed with hart murmur. The cat’s appetite is good and she still active. One of the symptoms is that the cat will shake at times when she wakes. The vet who check it out suggested a more expensive examination provided by a larger facilitated vet hospital in Portland Maine.
This generally involves a benign tumor on the thyroid glands. Since these hormones help regulate much of Puffy’s metabolism, overproduction can lead to problems not only with his heart, but with his kidneys and liver. In addition to heart disease, cats suffering from hyperthyroidism might be diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure.
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?
