How long can a cat live with heart disease on medication?
After leaving hospital, most cats survive for three to six months with therapy. Some rare cases have been known to go into remission, usually young cats that experience CHF after a stressful event, but this is not common.
How long did your cat live with HCM?
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 survive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
PROGNOSIS: The prognosis for cats with HCM is quite variable. Cats without clinical signs may survive for years, although the disease is most commonly progressive. Poor prognostic indicators include the presence of congestive heart failure, thromboembolism, and hypothermia (low body temperature).
Can HCM in cats be cured?
Although HCM has no known cure, a specialized care plan can help manage clinical signs of the condition in your cat. Treatment goals include controlling the heart rate, alleviating lung congestion (congestive heart failure), and preventing the formation of blood clots that can lead to thromboembolism.
Is heart disease painful for cats?
If this happens, paralysis and severe pain will result. In fact, the paralysis and pain are very common reasons many owners initially bring their cat to see a veterinarian. However, what they thought might be a broken leg or lameness is actually hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats.
Should I euthanize my cat with CHF?
If the pet has a condition like congestive heart failure, or untreatable brain cancer — a disease that will, unchecked, lead to a painful death — the recommendation may be for euthanasia sooner instead of later.
What age does HCM happen in cats?
Although the disease has been reported in cats ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years, most cases occur in middle age, usually between the ages of 4 and 8. The clinical signs of HCM can vary greatly from cat to cat.
What are the symptoms of HCM in cats?
Symptoms and Types
- Loss of appetite (anorexia)
- Lethargy.
- Weak pulse.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Short, rough, snapping breathing sounds (crackles)
- Abnormal heart sounds (i.e., muffled, galloping rhythm, murmurs)
- Inability to tolerate exercise or exertion.
Is HCM painful for cats?
Aortic thromboembolism, also known as a saddle thrombus, is the most common form – it is one of the most common presenting symptoms of a cat with HCM. This occurs because a blood clot has cut off ALL circulation to one or both hind legs, causing extreme pain and paralysis, and is often fatal.
How do you test a cat for HCM?
HCM is diagnosed using ultrasound of the heart – an echocardiogram. Echocardiography is a good way to detect moderate to severely affected cats. However, it may not always detect the mildly affected cats where changes in the heart can be minimal.
Can a cat live with congestive heart failure?
Most cats with congestive heart failure will live 6 to 12 months. If a heart condition such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is detected early on, treatment and management can mean a close-to-normal lifetime for your cat.
Is heart failure painful for cats?
How quickly does heart failure progress in cats?
HCM can worsen quickly or progress slowly over a period of years. HCM can remain undetected in some cats until the advanced stages, and the time between diagnosis and death can be a matter of weeks or months.
