Heart Murmur In Cats Uk
Heart murmurs A heart murmur means that in addition to normal lub-dub heart sounds the vet can also hear extra sounds when listening with a stethoscope.
Heart murmur in cats uk. Just as a fever can be something or nothing a murmur can be similar. Normally two distinct sounds are heard when listening to the heart of a normal dog or cat. You need to ask your vet what grade would your cat be on.
Being told that your pet has a heart murmur can be very daunting. Although a murmur may signify a problem with the heart or its blood. In some cases sudden death of affected cats can even occur.
A heart murmur is an unusual sound that can be heard with a stethoscope when listening to a cats heartbeat. It is a cardiac disorder that is a result of the hearts unstable and turbulent blood flow. Many healthy cats with a heart murmur never develop any problems with their heart and go on to lead long happy and healthy lives.
Your vet will be able to hear whether you cat has a murmur using their stethoscope. However the significance of a murmur very much depends upon the situation. A cat with a heart murmur that is caused by a structural heart disease or an extracardiac problem will generally have some sort of symptoms or clinical signs that can be attributed to the disease.
It can also show where a heart murmur is originating from. Fast shallow noisy or heavy breathing. This results in an abnormal noise which can be heard by your vet when listening with a stethoscope.
The prognosis depends on the cause of the heart murmur. An echocardiogram is necessary to differentiate between a heart murmur that is just due to excitement versus. 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.