How Long Can cats live with a heart murmur?
Heart Murmur in Cat’s Life Expectancy Even cats with a more severe murmur accompanied by Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can live for many years if they respond well to medical treatment. However, if a cat with a heart murmur develops congestive heart failure, their life expectancy will be about 6 to 18 months
How serious is a heart murmur in a cat?
What is the prognosis for cats with a heart murmur? Prognosis depends on the cause of the heart murmur. It is typically excellent for benign murmurs, but prognosis is often grave when there is severe heart disease. Your cat’s long-term prognosis will also depend on their response to any treatment needed.
What can be done for a cat with a heart murmur?
If the murmur is caused by a congenital condition, surgery may be recommended. In other cases, the heart murmur may remain, but medications can help make your cat more comfortable and improve your pet’s longevity.
Can stress cause heart murmur in cat?
This can be scary to hear, but the majority of these cats with murmurs never develop heart disease. In fact, sometimes stress alone can cause a murmur. In this case if we allow the cat to acclimate to the exam room longer or recheck the heart in the comfort of their own home, the murmur doesn’t exist anymore.
Can cats with heart murmurs life expectancy?
Heart Murmur in Cat’s Life Expectancy Even cats with a more severe murmur accompanied by Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can live for many years if they respond well to medical treatment. However, if a cat with a heart murmur develops congestive heart failure, their life expectancy will be about 6 to 18 months.
Is a heart murmur in a cat serious?
A murmur is not always a cause for concern, but it can be an indication of heart disease, so other diagnostic tests may be warranted. Found in young kittens, innocent murmurs are essentially harmless and usually disappear by 4 months of age.
How serious is a heart murmur in an older cat?
Close monitoring of heart murmurs and heart disease is necessary to check for progression of the condition. Management of CHF and some congenital cardiac issues in cats is often done with cardiac medications, cardiac supplements, and lifelong diet changes.
How long will my cat live with a heart murmur?
In most cases, the disease will continue to progress over time and heart function will become compromised. Cats that develop heart failure have a guarded prognosis and survival times are usually estimated to be 12 to 18 months after diagnosis.
Can my cat live with a heart murmur?
Many dogs and cats with heart murmurs will live long, happy, healthy lives. They may never need treatment for heart disease. For some, the murmur can indicate something more serious.
Are heart murmurs fatal in cats?
This type of murmur is benign (not harmful). Some normal adult cats may have an intermittent heart murmur that shows up when their heart rate is increased due to stress. This type of physiologic murmur disappears when the heart rate is normal and has no impact on the cat’s health.
What happens if a cat has a heart murmur?
Prognosis depends on the cause of the heart murmur. It is typically excellent for benign murmurs, but prognosis is often grave when there is severe heart disease. Your cat’s long-term prognosis will also depend on their response to any treatment needed.
How long can a cat live with a heart murmur?
Heart Murmur in Cat’s Life Expectancy Even cats with a more severe murmur accompanied by Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can live for many years if they respond well to medical treatment. However, if a cat with a heart murmur develops congestive heart failure, their life expectancy will be about 6 to 18 months
When should I worry about a heart murmur in my cat?
However, the clinical signs may be subtle and not noticeable until the disease becomes advanced. The most common symptoms that are observed with a cat that has a clinically significant heart murmur are poor appetite, weight loss (or stunted growth in a kitten), breathing problems, pale gums, lethargy, or weakness
What could cause a heart murmur in a cat?
In cats, common causes for heart murmurs include: Hyperthyroidism (an excess of thyroid hormone)High blood pressure. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart muscle walls)
Can stress cause heart disease in cats?
Not all heart murmurs are associated with heart disease. Some may reflect another disease process such as anemia. Normal cats can have intermittent heart murmurs, often when their heart rate is increased due to stress, and these physiologic murmurs have no impact on their health.
Can a cat live with a heart murmur?
Many dogs and cats with heart murmurs will live long, happy, healthy lives. They may never need treatment for heart disease. For some, the murmur can indicate something more serious.
Are heart murmurs common in cats?
An extra heart sound or a whooshing noise heard when the heart beats is considered a heart murmur and is a common finding in middle aged to older cats. In some cases, it is found in younger cats and can be a concern for congenital issues (those present at birth).
Does a heart murmur shorten a cat’s life?
The life expectancy depends on the cause of the murmur: cats with benign or innocent murmurs will have a normal life span, while cats with heart murmurs caused by life threatening structural defects of the heart may only live for months or a few years. In some cases, sudden death of affected cats can even occur.
Can cats live long lives with a heart murmur?
Many dogs and cats with heart murmurs will live long, happy, healthy lives. They may never need treatment for heart disease.
Can heart murmurs in cats be fatal?
However, the clinical signs may be subtle and not noticeable until the disease becomes advanced. The most common symptoms that are observed with a cat that has a clinically significant heart murmur are poor appetite, weight loss (or stunted growth in a kitten), breathing problems, pale gums, lethargy, or weakness
What is the life expectancy of a cat with a heart murmur?
Heart Murmur in Cat’s Life Expectancy Even cats with a more severe murmur accompanied by Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can live for many years if they respond well to medical treatment. However, if a cat with a heart murmur develops congestive heart failure, their life expectancy will be about 6 to 18 months
How long can a senior cat live with a heart murmur?
Heart Murmur in Cat’s Life Expectancy Even cats with a more severe murmur accompanied by Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can live for many years if they respond well to medical treatment. However, if a cat with a heart murmur develops congestive heart failure, their life expectancy will be about 6 to 18 months
Are heart murmurs common in older cats?
An audible murmur can indicate the presence of heart disease stressing the ‘can’ because studies have shown that up to 50% of apparently healthy cats have audible murmurs, but many of those cats do not have heart disease.
What causes heart murmurs in older cats?
In cats, common causes for heart murmurs include: Hyperthyroidism (an excess of thyroid hormone)High blood pressure. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of the heart muscle walls)
How long can a cat last with a heart murmur?
Heart Murmur in Cat’s Life Expectancy Even cats with a more severe murmur accompanied by Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can live for many years if they respond well to medical treatment. However, if a cat with a heart murmur develops congestive heart failure, their life expectancy will be about 6 to 18 months