Last week I purchased from a breeder an ex queen cream british shorthair cat, but she was not eating and smells so I took her to the vet for a checkup. He diagnosed marked gingival inflamation and loose teeth and more alarmingly a 3/6 systolic murmur both sides of chest, does anyone know what sort of a chance the cat has if she has her teeth removed (she is 4.5 yrs old) with this heart condition as well? I would be grateful of any advice please.
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cat with heart murmur - any advice welcome
- Thread starter maureen ball
- Start Date
Sorry not sure about the questions, but I do wonder if you can get a partial refund back from the breeder or maybe there is someone you should let know about it? Did you know the cat had problems before you bought it? It seems pretty terrible to sell sick animals and not tell people if you did not know.
Anyways, best of luck with her I hope she fairs well with the teeth and heart condition.
Anyways, best of luck with her I hope she fairs well with the teeth and heart condition.
There is an increased risk when an animal has a heart murmur of anesthesia, but as long as your vet knows about it he can take precautions. The bigger danger is leaving rotting and infected teeth in her mouth, which can spread bacteria to her kidneys, heart and liver.
As a side note my little Echo man had a grade 4 heart murmur and did fine with anesthesia to neuter him and do an echocardiogram to see how bad his heart was and if it was fixable, unfortunatley it was not and he passed away Dember 6th (months after his neuter and echocardiogram). We knewhe was destined to have a short life, so we made sure he lived it to the fullest.
As a side note my little Echo man had a grade 4 heart murmur and did fine with anesthesia to neuter him and do an echocardiogram to see how bad his heart was and if it was fixable, unfortunatley it was not and he passed away Dember 6th (months after his neuter and echocardiogram). We knewhe was destined to have a short life, so we made sure he lived it to the fullest.
I'm really sorry to hear about this finding... my thoughts are with you and your kitty!
In humans, the main causes of systolic murmur are:
aortic valve stenosis (stiffness)
mitral valve regurgitation (leaking)
ventricle septal defect (hole in the heart)
Essentially a murmur is a symptom of another problem. The above 3 are not the only causes of systolic murmurs (just the most common - for humans...). Each cause has it's own prognosis.
I've heard that dilated cardiomyopathy is a problem that is somewhat common in cats. In this condition the heart muscle dilates, but the valves do not dilate with it- so they can get leaky... (which could explain the murmur).
The only real way to know the cause of the murmur is to have an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram). An ECG might be helpful to determine if the heart is enlarged (dilated).
One of the most important things for keeping anyone with a heart problem healthy (two-legged or four-legged) is dental care!! Any infection in the mouth can easily spread to the heart valves.
There are many heart problems that are manageable. With the teeth fixed your new cat could have a nice healthy life. Unfortunately, the murmur could also be something very serious - and you need more information to know.
*hugs*
In humans, the main causes of systolic murmur are:
aortic valve stenosis (stiffness)
mitral valve regurgitation (leaking)
ventricle septal defect (hole in the heart)
Essentially a murmur is a symptom of another problem. The above 3 are not the only causes of systolic murmurs (just the most common - for humans...). Each cause has it's own prognosis.
I've heard that dilated cardiomyopathy is a problem that is somewhat common in cats. In this condition the heart muscle dilates, but the valves do not dilate with it- so they can get leaky... (which could explain the murmur).
The only real way to know the cause of the murmur is to have an ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram). An ECG might be helpful to determine if the heart is enlarged (dilated).
One of the most important things for keeping anyone with a heart problem healthy (two-legged or four-legged) is dental care!! Any infection in the mouth can easily spread to the heart valves.
There are many heart problems that are manageable. With the teeth fixed your new cat could have a nice healthy life. Unfortunately, the murmur could also be something very serious - and you need more information to know.
*hugs*
Anesthesia is always risky, and more so when a cat has medical problems. I would discuss it with your vet. How old is the cat? You may want to have a senior panel done if she's over 10 or so. Some diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, can cause heart murmurs. Treating the disease can lessen the severity of the murmur.
