Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Four young cats' heart obstruction and thickening went away
By Buchanan, Kailah et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2024·BluePearl Pet Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Resolution of dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and reversible left ventricular hypertrophy in 4 cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Four young cats were brought in with heart problems, including symptoms of congestive heart failure. After treatment with a medication called atenolol, their heart conditions improved significantly, and they were able to stop using diuretics. Follow-up visits showed that their heart structures returned to normal, and none of the cats experienced a return of heart disease. This suggests that some young cats with heart issues may recover better than expected, even if they initially show severe symptoms.
People also search for: cat heart problems treatment · young cat congestive heart failure · atenolol for cats heart disease
Abstract
This case series describes spontaneous resolution of systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve, cessation of a dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and reverse cardiac remodeling in 4 young cats. Following initial presentation with or without congestive heart failure, subsequent rechecks documented resolution of systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve and normalization of left heart dimensions. Those cats originally presented with congestive heart failure were successfully weaned off diuretic medications. Atenolol was prescribed to all 4 cats, and all remained on oral atenolol through the final recheck. There was no documented recurrence of progressive heart disease and heart failure in any of the cats. Consideration is given to transient myocardial thickening, spontaneous resolution of mitral valve dysplasia, and response to beta-1 adrenergic antagonism as possible underlying mechanisms. Key clinical message: When presented with young cats with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, veterinarians should consider multiple differential diagnoses, as lifespan in these cases may be longer than typically expected for cats with primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, even with concurrent congestive heart failure.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39355694/