Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Clinical signs and heart size in cats with heart disease
By Smith, S & Dukes-McEwan, J·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2012·Sarah Smith Cardiology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical signs and left atrial size in cats with cardiovascular disease in general practice.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with heart disease was examined to see how their symptoms compared to those with respiratory issues. Some cats showed no signs of heart problems, while others had symptoms like difficulty breathing, abnormal heart sounds, and a larger heart chamber size. The study found that a heart chamber size greater than 16.5 mm could help vets tell the difference between heart failure and respiratory disease. This information can help pet owners understand their cat's condition better and guide treatment options.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · cat breathing problems · how to tell if my cat has heart failure
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate population characteristics, clinical signs and simple echocardiographic measurements of a general practice population of cats, in identifying characteristics that reliably distinguish cats with heart disease from others, including those with respiratory disease, using widely available techniques. METHODS: Cats presented with heart disease (n=103), respiratory disease (n=19) and a normal group (n=29) were prospectively recruited. All cats were subject to full clinical examination, echocardiography and additional diagnostic procedures as appropriate to establish definitive diagnosis. Cats were classified as Group 1: no heart disease ± respiratory disease; Group 2: heart disease with no clinical signs; Group 3: heart disease with clinical signs. Murmur, gallop sound and arrhythmia prevalence and left atrial size were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Low heart rates prevailed in Group 3. Murmurs were prevalent in Group 2, but in Group 3 prevalence was significantly lower. Dyspnoea, gallop sounds, arrhythmias and left atrial diameter were significantly different between groups. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Heart rate is unreliable for diagnosing heart failure in cats. Absence of murmur is prevalent in cats with clinical signs of heart failure, but arrhythmia and gallop sounds are prevalent. Echocardiographic measurement of left atrial diameter >16.5 mm may distinguish heart failure from respiratory disease in general practice.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22098095/