Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with heart thickening and breathing trouble linked to Bartonella
By Joseph, J L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2018·Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Transient myocardial thickening in a Bartonella henselae-positive cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet for sudden breathing problems. Tests showed he had congestive heart failure and thickening of the heart muscle, likely due to an infection from Bartonella henselae, a bacteria often associated with cat scratch fever. The cat was treated with a combination of medications, including azithromycin and furosemide, and after six weeks, his heart function and breathing returned to normal. He continued to do well five months later, and all medications were stopped.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · cat heart failure treatment · Bartonella henselae in cats · azithromycin for cats
Abstract
A 3-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair presented to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals for acute onset respiratory distress. Thoracic radiographs, echocardiogram, and electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed left-sided congestive heart failure, myocardial thickening with left atrial dilation, and sinus rhythm conducted with a left bundle branch block, respectively. Cardiac troponin I was elevated and continued to increase over 36 h (1.9 ng/mL, 3.1 ng/mL, and 3.5 ng/mL, sequentially every 12 h). The cat tested positive for Bartonella henselae and was treated with azithromycin (30 mg/kg by mouth (PO) every 24 h for 30 days), along with furosemide (1 mg/kg PO every 24 h), benazepril (0.4 mg/kg PO every 24 h), pimobendan (0.23 mg/kg PO every 12 h), and clopidogrel (18.75 mg PO every 24 h). Reevaluation at 6 weeks revealed normal respiratory rate on physical examination, normal cardiac structures and function on echocardiogram, resolution of left bundle branch block on ECG, and normal cardiac troponin I levels (0.06 ng/mL). All medications were discontinued at this time, and the cat continued to do well 5 months after reevaluation. Here, we report a case of transient myocardial thickening in a cat that was also positive for B. henselae.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29730195/