my ten year old boy has a heart murmur which when having a check up at christmas has changed sound. He has to go back in three months for another check and poss be seen by vet cardiologist. He gets stressed very easily and so I dont want to put added strain on him by putting him thru tests etc. Any advice from others with similar experience? He is happy and healthy
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heart mumur
- Thread starter jo scott
- Start Date
My 10 year old girl Jazz was diagnosed with a heart murmur about a year ago. She see's her vet cardiogist once a year. It's my understanding that the test is not stressfull, it involves the vet listening to her heart with an instrument like a stethoscope. The test takes about 20/30 minutes. Jazz is a scaredy cat when the time comes to go to the vet, but I give her a treat and plenty of kisses when we get home and she is fine. Good luck
Did they give a reason for the murmur? With older kitties, heart murmurs are often (though not always) caused by other problems, like high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism. You may be able to make vet visits a little less stressful by covering the carrier or by using a calming agent like Feliway or Rescue Remedy. If you aren't sure whether your kitty needs to go in, perhaps you could talk to your vet and hear their reasons for requesting the visit. Often vets will want to monitor more frequently when a problem first starts to be sure there aren't any big or rapid changes.
I'm sorry to hear about that.
I'm assuming that this murmur is new, that he hasn't had it before.
Heart murmurs can mean different things, and the only sure way to discover the cause is to do an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart). This procedure usually takes about half an hour and involves saving an area on the chest and having the cat lie on his back with the ultrasound probe rests on his heart.
The procedure itself is not overly stressful for most cats (unless you have a cat like my Honey who is scared to death of humans and being held, he should be fine). Many cardiologists also let owners be present if it is a concern for you.
Now you don't have to do the test if you don't want to, but it is the only way to find out the reason for the murmur and possible treatment/preventive tools.
I'm assuming that this murmur is new, that he hasn't had it before.
Heart murmurs can mean different things, and the only sure way to discover the cause is to do an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart). This procedure usually takes about half an hour and involves saving an area on the chest and having the cat lie on his back with the ultrasound probe rests on his heart.
The procedure itself is not overly stressful for most cats (unless you have a cat like my Honey who is scared to death of humans and being held, he should be fine). Many cardiologists also let owners be present if it is a concern for you.
Now you don't have to do the test if you don't want to, but it is the only way to find out the reason for the murmur and possible treatment/preventive tools.
