Cardiomyopathy is a medical term that means the heart muscle is not functioning normally.This disease can come in a variety of forms, but the heart just can't work as well as it should.The most common heart problem for cats is disease of the heart muscle.It's important to understand the signs of this problem and get your cat veterinary treatment as soon as possible if you are a cat owner.
Step 1: There are subtle signs of exhaustion.
The early signs that most cats don't exercise and run in the same way as dogs are easy to miss.Lack of endurance is one of the earliest clues.If your cat is sleeping more than usual, notice.It is sleeping all day long instead of just a morning and afternoon nap.Does your cat still enjoy playing with a string or a laser pointer?This could be a sign that it has a health problem.
Step 2: Pay attention to breathing difficulties.
When heart disease becomes more advanced and the cat enters heart failure, the signs can include rapid shallow breathing, breathing through an open mouth, or staggering.If your cat has not been active recently, breathing through an open mouth is a warning sign.If you see these symptoms, you should take your cat to the vet.
Step 3: There are signs of pain and trouble.
In more serious cases, the cat can throw a blood clot, which lodges in the main arteries to the back legs.This causes weakness and pain in the hind legs.Your cat may make noise in response to the pain.Take your cat to the vet if it is having these symptoms.The veterinary clinic can prepare for your arrival if you call them.
Step 4: Get your cat checked out.
Regular vet checks are important because early symptoms of cardiomyopathy are hard to spot.Changes in your cat's heart sounds and rate could be a sign of a problem.A twice yearly check up is recommended for cats over the age of 12 years.
Step 5: If you see symptoms, take your cat for an exam.
Your vet will perform a physical examination to look for evidence of underlying health problems.They will pay attention to the rate and rhythm of the heart, not just the sounds of it.A rapid heart rate is a sign of heart disease.This is a sign that the heart is working harder than it should.
Step 6: Allow additional tests.
If your vet can give you a definitive diagnosis, you should allow him or her to do blood tests.Screening blood tests can be used to check for underlying problems.A definitive diagnosis of cardiomyopathy can be made using an echocardiogram.The thickness of the heart wall and its contraction strength can be measured with the help of anechocardiography.
Step 7: The underlying illnesses should be treated.
Any disease that is pushing the cat into heart failure needs to be addressed.This could mean using drugs to reduce high blood pressure, or treating an over-the-counter medication to bring the blood thyroid levels back to normal.
Step 8: Follow your doctor's suggestions for treatment of the cardiomyopathy.
The combination of drugs will be decided by your vet.Depending on the type of heart disease that your cat has, the decision will be made.If the heart isn't in full failure, your cat's diet can be supplemented with taurine.Drugs are used to make it easier to pump blood around the body and to help the heart relax so that it fills as fully as it can.Diuretics are drugs that decrease fluid in the body.It helps to get rid of fluid around the lungs which makes breathing more difficult.The vet can give this by injection in a sick patient and then continue the treatment with tablets at home.The drug benazepril increases the size of small blood vessels in the body.It is easier for blood to flow around the entire body when there is less resistance to the heart pumps.Reducing the rate of a racing heart can be done with drugs such as propranolol.This will allow it to fill more fully and pump more effectively.diltiazem helps the heart muscle relax in between beats.It makes for more efficient pumping of the heart.Aspirin should only be given by your vet.Aspirin is safe for cats if given every three days.It is used to prevent blood clot in cats.
Step 9: Continue treatment.
It is possible for a cat with cardiomyopathy to need adjustments to its medication.The treatment may continue indefinitely.Recovery may not be permanent.Cats that have problems that are caught early, diagnosed, and put on appropriate treatment lead happy lives for months or years after diagnosis.There is a chance of stabilization for cats that are very sick when the disease is caught.
Step 10: Understand how the heart works.
The heart pumps blood throughout the body.The upper and lower chambers of the body are filled with blood and then pumped out.The right side of the heart takes blood from the body that no longer has oxygen in it.The deoxygenated blood is pumped into the lungs by the heart.The left side pumps the blood into the arteries.
Step 11: There are different types of cardiomyopathy.
Hypertrophic, restrictive, and dilated cardiomyopathy are the main types of cardiomyopathy.The heart is affected by each type slightly.This is the most common form of cardiomyopathy."Hypertrophic" is a term that refers to a problem with the heart.The chambers that hold blood become smaller due to the thicker walls in the heart.Each heartbeat pumps less blood into the body with smaller chambers.A build-up of scar tissue on a chamber of the heart is what causes restricted cardiomyopathy.The relaxation, filling, and pumping of the heart are restricted by this.Dilated cardiomyopathy is a type of muscle fatigue where the heart muscles get tired and become baggy.Think of it as a balloon that has been let down many times.The muscular wall has less power and is less efficient at pushing blood around.
Step 12: Understand what causes cardiomyopathy.
There are many reasons why a cat might have a heart problem.The Main Coon gets heart disease more often, which is passed down from parent to kitten when they have babies.High blood pressure and acromegaly can put extra strain on the heart and cause it to develop cardiomyopathy.Cat's heart can be affected by a lack of taurine in its diet.Most cats should not have this deficiency.Dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by a deficiency in the heart's elasticity.Lymphoma can get into the heart muscle and cause it to have a hard time functioning.