Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart muscle disease in Norwegian Forest cats explained
By März, Imke et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2015·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Familial cardiomyopathy in Norwegian Forest cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of Norwegian Forest cats was examined for heart problems, specifically cardiomyopathy, which is a condition that affects the heart muscle. Out of 53 cats screened, 25% showed mild thickening of the heart walls, but none had heart murmurs or significant blockages. Further examination of eight cats that died from heart issues revealed changes in the heart muscle typical of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious condition. This study suggests that cardiomyopathy may run in families of Norwegian Forest cats, indicating a genetic link.
People also search for: Norwegian Forest cat heart problems · cardiomyopathy in cats · symptoms of cat heart disease · treatment for cat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Abstract
Norwegian Forest cats (NFCs) are often listed as a breed predisposed to cardiomyopathy, but the characteristics of cardiomyopathy in this breed have not been described. The aim of this preliminary study was to report the features of NFC cardiomyopathy based on prospective echocardiographic screening of affected family groups; necropsy findings; and open-source breed screening databases. Prospective examination of 53 NFCs revealed no murmur or left ventricular (LV) outflow tract obstruction in any screened cat, though mild LV hypertrophy (defined as diastolic LV wall thickness ≥5.5mm) was present in 13/53 cats (25%). Gross pathology results and histopathological sections were analysed in eight NFCs, six of which had died of a cardiac cause. Myocyte hypertrophy, myofibre disarray and interstitial fibrosis typical of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were present in 7/8 cats, but endomyocardial fibrosis suggestive of restrictive cardiomyopathy was also present in the same cats. Pedigree data analysis from 871 NFCs was supportive of a familial cardiomyopathy in this breed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25359788/