Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with severe heart inflammation and breathing trouble
By Zadeh, Abedin Shaban et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2025·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (Zadeh, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: -associated myocarditis in a domestic cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet because she was having severe breathing problems. After examination, she was diagnosed with myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and congestive heart failure caused by a protozoal infection. Despite treatment with oxygen and medications, her condition worsened quickly, and she was sadly euthanized. This case highlights a rare but serious cause of heart failure in cats linked to a protozoal infection that typically affects other muscles.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · cat heart failure treatment · protozoal infection in cats
Abstract
This report describes a 2-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat presented because of severe, acute respiratory distress and ultimately diagnosed with myocarditis and secondary congestive heart failure associated withspp. Despite therapy with oxygen, furosemide, and butorphanol, the cat deteriorated rapidly, became moribund, and was euthanized. Lymphohistiocytic myocarditis associated with protozoal organisms with evidence of secondary congestive heart failure was diagnosed based on gross and histological findings. Protozoal cysts were identified within the myocardium and-containing cysts were also seen in lingual and periocular striated muscles with associated myositis. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that the protozoal organisms werespp. Molecular identification using polymerase chain reaction identified the etiologic agent as. Althoughinfection has been documented in striated muscles of cats worldwide, this is typically an incidental finding. If disease occurs, it usually leads to neurologic signs from a-induced encephalomyelitis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report ofspp. affecting the cardiac muscle of a domestic cat with a fatal outcome. Key clinical message:spp. is a novel cause of heart failure in cats due to lymphohistiocytic myocarditis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40671893/