My indoor cat MidgeyGirl was diagnosed three years ago with a heart murmur, she’s six now. Should I be concerned? I haven’t had her checked in some time, since I’ve moved to another state. Does this murmur ever correct itself, is there medication for this? Thank you!

Lee
Stuart, FL

A heart murmur is a description of how the heart sounds when a veterinarian listens to it. The presence or absence of a heart murmur does not always correlate with the presence or absence of heart disease.

A heart murmur signifies turbulent flow of blood through the heart. Under normal circumstances blood flows through the heart smoothly and soundlessly. In animals with heart murmurs the blood does not flow as smoothly, and this causes a shushing noise that is called a heart murmur.

Blood flowing through the heart is similar to water flowing through a hose. A kink or irregularity in the hose can lead to a shushing noise as the water flows through. Any irregularity in the structure of the heart or the flow of blood through the heart causes a similar shushing noise.

Heart murmurs come in two broad categories: non-pathological and pathological. Non-pathological heart murmurs are caused by benign hereditary or developmental anomalies and other harmless irregularities in the structure (but not the function) of the heart.

Pathological heart murmurs are caused by leaky valves, irregularities in heart muscle structure, or anatomical irregularities that compromise heart function.

Animals like MidgeyGirl that develop heart murmurs at a young age often have non-pathological murmurs. Animals that develop heart murmurs late in life most often have pathological heart conditions.

However, there is absolutely no way to tell whether a murmur is pathological or non-pathological simply by listening to it. Diagnostic tests are needed to determine whether disease exists and whether medications are necessary.

A combination of chest X-rays and ultrasound of the heart (known as echocardiography) almost always reveals whether heart pathology is present. Basic blood tests (and a special blood test called pro-BNP) also are useful.

I recommend that your vet perform these tests on MidgeyGirl. Hopefully the results will put your mind at ease.

Go to my website for more information on heart disease in pets.
Cats: http://drbarchas.com/feline_heart_disease
Dogs: http://drbarchas.com/canine_heart_disease

Photo: Lola’s heart looks good!

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• New Developments in Artificial Hearts May Soon Benefit People, Cats and Dogs
• What Causes Heart Disease in Young Cats?
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• New Test for Canine Heart Disease may be on the Horizon
• Las Vegas Enacts Mandatory Spay/Neuter Law

Let’s answer two more of Mrs. Kitty’s questions.

Is it true that you should keep a freshly-neutered male indoors for a week because he can still impregnate a female?

As I have mentioned twice in the last week, I would prefer that all cats were kept inside at all times. However, the answer to your question is yes. After the testicles are removed, it takes several days for all of the residual sperm to clear out of the pipes. During this time, a freshly-neutered male cat can still impregnate females.

It can take more than a week for the male’s testosterone levels to drop. During this time he will remain at increased risk of fighting, spraying, and engaging in other undesirable (from our point of view) behaviors.

What is the most common cause of sudden death in visually healthy young (2-5 years old) cats?

In outdoor cats, vehicular trauma is by far the most common cause of sudden death regardless of age.

But I’m guessing that you aren’t talking about the obvious.

In my experience the most common cause of sudden (and unavoidable) death in young cats is heart disease. Cats are prone to a syndrome called cardiomyopathy. This syndrome develops slowly but initially may not cause clinical symptoms. The first symptom of the syndrome may be sudden death.

Go to my website for more information about cardiomyopathy:

http://drbarchas.com/feline_heart_disease

Tomorrow: it’s time to talk about a dog.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• What Causes Heart Disease in Young Cats?
• Will Neutering my Cat Reduce his Aggression and Territoriality?
• Can Hormone Therapy Prevent Mating in Dogs?
• Are Feeding Tubes Appropriate for Cats Who Don’t Eat?
• Can Cats Suffer From Bulimia?

Heart disease in young cats seem to be increasing, at least based on anecdotal reports I’m receiving. I’ve heard of several instances of seemingly healthy cats between the ages of 2 and 5 dying suddenly, or requiring euthanasia, from heart attacks or related conditions. Is this a recognized trend, and do we know what causes heart disease in cats, especially in cats so young? How can we protect our cats from heart disease?

Melanie
North CA

Heart disease in cats generally is caused by a syndrome called cardiomyopathy. The muscle of the heart does not function properly in cats with the syndrome. This can lead to heart failure or other serious complications including sudden death.

Feline heart disease is much less common now than several decades ago. That is because one of the causes of heart disease in cats was discovered to be a dietary insufficiency of an amino acid called taurine. Taurine is now routinely added to most feline diets.

Hereditary causes are involved in most cases of feline heart disease in current times. Breeds such as Maine Coons and Persians have known predispositions to cardiomyopathy. However, the syndrome can strike any breed of cat. It also affects non-purebred individuals.

Modern genetics hopefully will dramatically reduce the incidence of feline cardiomyopathy in the near future. I, for one, would be very happy never to see another case of it. The disease is not highly treatable and it frequently strikes young cats who otherwise would have most of their lives ahead of them.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• What Causes Heart Murmurs in Cats and Dogs?
• Can Freshly Neutered Males Still Impregnate Females? And Why do Young Cats Suddenly Perish?
• How Can I Find a Vet in a Developing Country?
• Are Feeding Tubes Appropriate for Cats Who Don’t Eat?
• Can Cats Suffer From Bulimia?

Heart disease is very common in dogs. Most cases of heart disease in dogs are hereditary, rather than acquired. This means that, unlike in humans, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are not major causes of heart disease in dogs (although obesity exacerbates heart disease in all species).

There are two major forms of heart disease in dogs. Small breeds are prone to valve disease. Valve disease causes the blood to flow incorrectly through the heart and lungs. Large breeds are prone to cardiomyopathy, a syndrome in which the muscles of the heart lose the ability to function normally. Either condition can lead to heart failure and death.

The mainstays of diagnosing canine heart disease have been physical exam, evaluation for irregular heart sounds known as murmurs, X-rays and echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart). Echocardiography is especially effective at diagnosing heart problems. However, in many cases the problem is not detected until it has been present for a very long time. And, as with all medical conditions, treatment for canine heart disease is most effective if the problem is detected early.

Fortunately, a paper in the May 15, 2008 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association describes a new test that may soon become available to identify dogs with heart disease. The test would be a blood test that could be performed routinely on at-risk breeds.

The test would involve measuring the level of a peptide (a very small protein) in the blood. A recent study demonstrated that blood levels of the peptide reliably predict the presence and severity of heart disease in dogs.

It may be several years before any test involving the peptide is available for veterinarians. However, it is encouraging to know that in the future it may be possible to diagnose heart disease earlier and more easily in our canine friends.

The paper discussed in this post is Oyama, et al J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008;232:1496-1503

Image credit: Heikenwaelder Hugo. Image licensing information: CC
Image confession: it is a human heart. But the canine heart is anatomically similar.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• What Causes Heart Murmurs in Cats and Dogs?
• New Developments in Artificial Hearts May Soon Benefit People, Cats and Dogs
• What Causes Heart Disease in Young Cats?
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• Internet Video Series Illustrates Some of the Human Health Benefits of Pets