der adult cats and dogs, heart murmurs usually mean that a valve is not working properly. In younger dogs and cats they can be a sign of an imperfectly constructed heart (a cardiac birth defect). The particular valve producing the sound may not be closing completely or it may not be opening sufficiently for blood to pass through it without turbulence. Turbulence as blood rushes through an abnormal heart valve or channel is what produces all heart murmur sounds. The rhythm of a weakened heart also likely to changes. But unlike in us humans, frequent changes in the heart rhythm of relaxed dogs and cats is quite normal (sinus arrhythmia). Read about sinus arrhythmia here.
What Tests Might My Veterinarian Suggest?
If your veterinarian is suspicious that your dog or cat might have a heart problem, the first test we traditionally schedule are chest (thoracic) x-rays. We need two views to start with, one side to side (lateral) and the other bottom to top (DV/dorsoventral view). If your pet’s x-rays shows an enlarged heart, your veterinarian might be satisfied with that, begin therapy or offer you a consult with a formally trained veterinary cardiologist. If the radiographs are inconclusive or for backup evidence, your veterinarian might suggest aproBNP or similar blood test (Cardio-BNP Test, NT-proBNP, B-type natriuretic peptide yield similar information). These tests are especially useful in cats when your veterinarian is not sure if your cat has a heart problem or if it might be a lung problem or asthma. Another tests that a cardiac specialist might perform is echocardiograph (doppler ultrasound) to see your dog or cat’s heart perform in real time, and an ECG/EKG to check if the electrical system of your pet’s heart is functioning normally.
What Are Some Of The Effects Of A Failing Heart?
As I mentioned, in dogs, the valves are often the first heart structures that are affected. Heart disease in cats more commonly involves the entire heart muscle – not just the valves.
Dogs let us know early on that there is a problem. Cat owners are often unaware that their cat has a heart problem until its heart is well on its way to failing. Often the only signs in your cat are weight loss, and difficulty breathing. Cats are more likely to make asthmatic and retching-like sounds than to have a persistent hacking cough. Unfortunately, even when given proper medications, cats with generalized heart disease rarely survive long periods. Signs of all forms of heart disease in cats are quite similar. So your veterinarians will need to rely on sophisticated tests and the trained eye of a specialist to have the possibility of telling one potential cause from another .
Heart Problems That Are Common In Both Dogs And Cats :
In many ways, your pet’s heart is like a car’s motor. If one part goes out, it is not long before it causes another part to fail. So in reality, most actual cases of heart disease are a combination of several problems. The normal heart has a very precise shape. As its shape expands due to overwork and becomes more rounded, the heart is not able to perform any of its tasks well because of its distorted shape.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF):
Congestive heart failure is the result of an enlarged heart – one that allows blood to abnormally pool (congest), move sluggishly throughout the body and pool in areas where it does not belong. No mater what the underlying heart problem was, CHF is often the end result. You can read in more detail about how this problem affects dogs here. CHF is less common in cats. But when cats develop CHF, how it affects their bodies is quite similar.
CHF occurs when the heart is unable to meet the circulatory demands of the pet’s body. Many things can trigger it: a heart pumping against increased back pressure, decreased efficiency as a pump. valve defects, tumors, heartworms, heart beat abnormalities, or damaged to the muscle itself all cause the heart to enlarge and blood to pool in the pet’s organs and lungs. CHF can be the end result of any of those things. X-ray and/or cardiac ultrasound are the ways y