Is a heart murmur serious in a cat?

Can kidney disease cause high blood pressure in cats?

And as if that weren’t enough, once kidney disease occurs, it too can hike up your cat’s blood pressure, increasing the chance even more for heart murmurs to develop. So your cat often suffers through a double-whammy of sorts if there’s a secondary condition causing high blood pressure aside from kidney disease.

What are the symptoms of heart murmur and kidney failure in cats?

Heart Murmurs & Kidney Failure in Cats 1 Anemia. Anytime your kitty suffers from anemia, she may develop a heart murmur. 2 Blood Pressure. Blood pressure isn’t only a human worry, it’s a feline concern too. 3 Teeth. When tartar is allowed to build up on your kitty’s teeth,… 4 Symptoms. There isn’t a whole lot of symptoms with heart murmurs.

What causes a cat to have a Grade 1 heart murmur?

Most feline heart murmurs occur during the systolic phase, when the heart pumps blood out. While a grade 1 murmur might be difficult for your vet to hear, a grade IV is so loud she can feel it if she puts her hand on Puffy’s chest. The next step is finding out the reason for the murmur. In elderly cats, it might be hyperthyroidism.

How do vets grade heart murmur in dogs?

An important tool vets use to monitor a dog’s heart murmur is to ‘grade’ the murmur. Grading is done on a sliding scale from 1 to 6. This is where grade I is the softest of murmurs, which is difficult to hear with a stethoscope even in a quiet room.

What are the treatment options for a heart murmur?

If the heart murmur is caused by an underlying problem, the treatment plan will be based on the diagnosis, and may include a combination of specialized diets, medications, and supportive care. What is the prognosis? The prognosis ranges from excellent to grave, depending on the cause of the murmur.

What is the prognosis of a heart murmur?

The prognosis ranges from excellent to grave, depending on the cause of the murmur. If the murmur is physiologic, no treatment is required and the prognosis is generally good to excellent. If the murmur is caused by extracardiac disease or a functional problem that can be treated, the murmur may resolve over time.

Can animals live their whole life with a heart murmur?

Some animals live their whole life with a heart murmur and some develop a murmur as they age. Echocardiography can be performed to examine the structure of the heart and to look for valve anomalies and other pathologies. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM

Can a heart murmur affect a dog or cat?

Heart murmurs can occur in both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn more about how they affect dogs, please visit this page in the PetMD health library. The symptoms associated with murmurs depend on a variety of characteristics, including their grade, configuration, and location.

What does it mean when a kitten has a systolic murmur?

“In most cases, murmur intensity doesn’t correlate with the severity of the heart disease but a loud systolic murmur (higher than a grade four of six) is more worrisome for congenital heart disease in a kitten,” says Bliss. A cat heart murmur is not something you can effectively discover on your own.

What are the different grades of heart murmurs in cats?

Based on the loudness and intensity, vets rank heart murmurs in grades from one to six, with one being softest and six being the most audible. Softer murmurs might only be detectable in one place, whereas the loudest ones can be heard in multiple places on the cat’s body.

What causes extra-cardiac heart murmurs?

So-called “extra-cardiac” causes of heart murmurs include viral or bacterial infections, fever, pregnancy, obesity, emaciation, anemia, hyperthyroidism and hypoproteinemia. In these cases, the underlying disease may change the viscosity and flow of the blood, leading to the turbulence that causes the murmur.

What can I give my Cat for a heart murmur?

However, if the cat’s murmur is a result of an underlying condition, your vet might prescribe medication and/or a special diet. The most commonly used medications are beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, and anti-clotting medications.

Can an infection cause a heart murmur in a cat?

If an infection makes its way down to your kitty’s heart, a heart murmur can develop. But infections aren’t only a problem for your feline’s heart, they can also contribute to the breaking down of her kidneys, which leads to kidney failure. There isn’t a whole lot of symptoms with heart murmurs. They cause heart sounds that aren’t normal.

What are the tests for a Grade 3 heart murmur in cats?

If your vet’s detected a grade 3 heart murmur, the next step is finding out the cause. She’ll conduct various tests, including a chest X-ray, which reveal the size and shape of the heart and major blood vessels. Blood tests reveal your cat’s general health and whether any of his organs aren’t functioning normally.

How are heart murmurs graded?

Heart murmurs are graded on how easily they can be heard, on a scale of one to six, from quietest to loudest. The softest murmurs can be very hard to detect and may be only heard over one part of the heart. The loudest murmurs, suggesting more turbulence of the blood flow, can be heard over a wider area of the heart.

How long does it take for a kitten heart murmur to disappear?

Heart murmurs in kittens often disappear by the time of puberty, about 6 months of age. Vets grade heart murmurs on a scale of 1 to 5, from the barely audible grade 1 to the very loud grade 5.

Do cats have heart murmurs when stressed?

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.

How do vets monitor a dog’s heart murmur?

An important tool vets use to monitor a dog’s heart murmur is to ‘grade’ the murmur. Grading is done on a sliding scale from 1 to 6. This is where grade I is the softest of murmurs, which is difficult to hear with a stethoscope even in a quiet room.

Can anemia cause a heart murmur in a dog?

Murmurs are not exclusive to heart disease. Anemia and hyperthyroidism are two common causes of murmurs not resulting from heart disease. In dogs, heart murmurs occur when the valves between the heart chambers are leaky. In cats, heart murmurs occur because the heart muscle is abnormal and blood flow is turbulent.

What causes murmurs in cats?

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. The specific characteristics of the murmur, along with any symptoms that your cat might be showing, will help your veterinarian to determine what is causing the murmur.

What does it mean when a dog murmurs?

The term ‘murmur’ refers to turbulent blood flow within the heart that creates an extra noise or heart sound. It’s this noise that the vet hears when listening with a stethoscope against the dog’s chest.

How do I know if my dog has a heart murmur?

These murmurs are quiet and may occur intermittently. Grade VI murmurs are the most severe. These are very loud when listening with a stethoscope and can usually be felt by placing the hands on the dog’s chest. The higher the grade of a heart murmur, the greater the blood flow turbulence in the heart.

What is a heart murmur?

“A heart murmur is an abnormal sound heard when the heart is listened to using a stethoscope, say’s Sophie. “It makes a whooshing sound instead of a clear beat. This is due to turbulent blood flow.” Although the heart murmur itself is a symptom rather than a disease, it can be a sign that something else is wrong.

What is the most common differential in a dog with a murmur?

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is probably the number one differential in a young dog with a murmur. Depending on the location and timing, a list of most likely differentials can be drawn (see Table 3).

Can a cat have a heart murmur?

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.

What is the treatment for a heart murmur?

If the heart murmur is caused by an underlying problem, the treatment plan will be based on the diagnosis, and may include a combination of specialized diets, medications, and supportive care. What is the prognosis? The prognosis ranges from excellent to grave, depending on the cause of the murmur.