Congenital Valve Dysplasia

My 8 months old cat was diagnosed with congenital valve dysplasia. We had a echo to prove it, after the vet heard a grade 2 or 3 heart murmur. She is showing no signs of hear problems and she is growing, exercising and using the litter on a regular basis. The cardiologist wants to repeat the echo in 6 to 9 months and, if the sistuation is still the same and there are no changes in her heart structure and conditions, he thinks she will live a perfectly healthy normal life 

Have you had a similar experience? What was the prognosis for your kitten? 

I'm so sorry your little one has been diagnosed with this.  Hopefully it won't change and she'll live a very healthy life.  Did they put her on any meds?

I do know of one kitten diagnosed with something similar, and he went on meds, but honestly his owner never came back and said what happened.  I just know that the Vet didn't want to neuter him because of issues with anesthesia. 

for that long and healthy life

No medications were precribed because her heart is fine, aside from the valve issues. It doesn't seem that it is impacting her life or the stucture of her heart. If the situation stays the same, she will have an healthy life. I do hope she does so in 6 to 9 months we wil have great news and not have to worry anymore. 

My 18 month old cat, Coconut, was recently diagnosed with, they believe, Atrial Valve Dysplasia. Unlike Luna2015's kitties experience, mine was diagnosed because out of the blue she went off her food, low energy, and seizures. Blood tests pointed to heart and liver problems. Then an echo found thickened walls and blood not flowing where it should. Apparently what he saw on the echo could be either AVD or cardiomyopathy, both congenital. He also said cardiomyopathy has no useful treatment, but that beta blockers could help if it was AVD. So we put her on beta blockers and hoped. It was a very rough next few days, with the seizures continuing. Just as I was giving up hope, she knocked a tupperware off the kitchen counter. This was HUGE - feeling well enough and strong enough to misbehave! She's continued to improve since then. She's not tearing up and down the hall at break neck speed like her old teenager self used to, but she's alert, inquisitive, and will trot to a treat.

Since this is congenital, and did seem to turn into active issues virtually over night, my advice to Luna2015 is to talk to your vet about preventive measures, like weight control, low salt diet etc. Because if it turns to active deterioration, it's really distressing and dangerous. The liver issues were or are likely from lack of oxygen to that organ.

Basically what happens is the blood isn't flowing right in the heart. So the heart works harder. The heart walls thicken from that harder work, because it's a muscle. The thicker muscle further disrupts the blood flow. And now we have a vicious cycle.

So, with the knowledge you have now, before she has symptoms, if you can keep her asymptomatic, I would.

Miss Coconut's regimen is now:

On a diet to lose some weight and improve her heart performance:
Low sodium.
Good protein
Moderate calorie.
95% canned - for the higher protein, better hydration, lower carbs, and more full feeling on fewer calories. I'm giving only 1 TBS kibbles because she'll chase them and to scrub her teeth a little. And rather than super high calorie cat treats, she thinks these are "treats".

Basically I scoured data on sodium content (and protein and calories etc) in cat foods, pick the couple that meet protein, sodium and calorie counts vet recommends. Then I'm doing about 20% of her daily calories from cooked egg whites - high protein, zero sodium. It turns out that Hill's Science Diet

She's on a kitty herb for immune and organ support, to try and help her liver back. It's basically kitty vitamins.
Liquid omega supplement for heart and liver health
Atenelol (beta blocker) as prescribed by the cat cardiologist

My other cat seems predisposed to be a butter belly, so she's on a reduction diet now also, and the omega's as well.

The best resource I found for nutrition content is one geared to kidney disease in cats, but it has full nutrition content on hundreds upon hundreds of foods: http://www.felinecrf.org/index.htm