Feline heart disease (HCM) — the “silent killer” and its symptoms

🚑 In case of acute symptoms, call immediately: 010 739 9130

Heart diseases in cats are deceptive. Unlike dogs that cough, cats rarely show any symptoms until the situation is critical.

The most common heart disease in cats is HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), that is, thickening of the heart muscle. It is often hereditary (e.g. maine coon, ragdoll, sphinx), but it also occurs a lot in common land cats.

“The Silent Killer”

In HCM disease, the walls of the heart thicken, which causes the heart to decrease in volume and it is forced to work harder. A cat can seem perfectly healthy until the heart fails.

Two scary first symptoms

Often the owner notices the disease only when one of these occurs:

1. Sudden difficulty breathing (Pulmonary oedema)

Heart failure accumulates fluid in the lungs.

• The cat breathes heavily, “pumps” with its stomach or groans with its mouth open.
• This is an emergency.

2. Paralysis of the back of the head (thrombus)

A blood clot forms in the heart, which takes off and blocks the large blood vessels that go to the hind legs.

• The cat screams in pain.
• The hind legs are flaccid and cold, the tentacles are pale/bluish.
• This is a very painful emergency.

How is HCM diagnosed?

The best way to find a disease prior Symptoms include:

• Listening to the Heart: The veterinarian may hear a murmur or arrhythmia (but not always!).
• ProBNP blood test: A quick test that tells about damage to the heart muscle.
• Cardiac Ultrasound: The only way to confirm the diagnosis.

If your cat has a gag or murmur, we recommend a cardiac ultrasound at the Animal Hospital Sacrum. Timely started medication can prevent the formation of blood clots.

📍 Veterinary Hospital Sacrum — Porttisuontie 13, Vantaa