Heart Murmur and Enlarged Heart (Is my cat unhappy) UPDATE

[Shawna87]

Hello everyone, I posted a couple weeks ago asking if my cat was unhappy. I took all your advice and brought Lucy to a feline specialist. She discovered she does not have asthma but has a heart murmur and an enlarged heart. I was told because of this she will not live as long as other cats. She is two years old and I was told she could potentially live for another 2-10 years.

They are wanting to do an echocardiogram to take a closer look at her heart and get a better idea what medication to put her on for her heart. I was told they cannot guess what medication to put her on without the echocardiogram because if they put her on the wrong kind it could make her heart worse. This procedure will also give them a better idea on her life expectancy. However this procedure is $600.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Is the echocardiogram worth the expense for it? Also I’m open to any suggestions for foods, supplements, diet, or lifestyle changes for a healthy heart.

 

[Alldara]

$600 is a good cost for this procedure.

Her heart condition is likely congenital (born with) or was caused during some kind of infection.

You can not usually reverse heart damage. Unfortunately, there's nothing over the counter that will fix it. Hopefully someone else will be able to offer some suppliments that might support but, be cautious without a diagnosis. You're still going to need that diagnosis before giving suppliments or lifestyle changes.

She's young so personally I would check to see what medications can help. If they did heart bloodwork they'll be able to tell if she has congestive heart failure and then they wouldn't recommend anesthesia.

 

[FeebysOwner]

The cost for the echo seems a bit high, at least in my 'neck of the woods'. You could try calling around to various places that perform echos to see if there is another one who isn't as expensive. But all in all, it would be worthy of having it done just to see if they can better pinpoint her specific issues which would help with determining proper meds.

Echocardiograms typically can be done without anesthesia, most cats will do fine with just a light sedative - and, there are other cats who need no sedation at all. Feeby (18+ yo) received a very small dose of butorphanol when she had her echo and ultrasound. It is fast acting and quick to wear off.

 

[Alldara]

The cost for the echo seems a bit high, at least in my 'neck of the woods'. You could try calling around to various places that perform echos to see if there is another one who isn't as expensive. But all in all, it would be worthy of having it done just to see if they can better pinpoint her specific issues which would help with determining proper meds.

Echocardiograms typically can be done without anesthesia, most cats will do fine with just a light sedative - and, there are other cats who need no sedation at all. Feeby (18+ yo) received a very small dose of butorphanol when she had her echo and ultrasound. It is fast acting and quick to wear off.

I'm starting to believe I live in a VERY high-cost area for veterinary services.

 

[FeebysOwner]

The cost for me might have been less because Feeby had numerous tests done at the same time, so some portion of the expense might have overlapped with charges associated with those other tests.

Here is some information about the cost and what could be included in the overall procedure.
How Much Does an Echocardiogram for a Cat Cost? | HowMuchIsIt.org

 

[fionasmom]

I have a boy who is now almost 7 who was diagnosed with HCM at 2 years old. I have done echocardiograms for him and they do pinpoint what is happening with the heart. Personally, I would consider having it done as guessing at what heart medications to use could put your cat in jeopardy...and it sounds as if your vets are not willing to guess, which is for the best.

Jamie is doing well, so far, so good. He was actually taken off of his meds by his cardiologist (it was the regular vet who did the first ECG and prescribed the meds) because she believed that they were being used too soon in his case.

I pay between $500 and $600 for them. You are seeing a feline specialist, so they may be up on cardiology, but another consideration would be to find a cardiologist.