heart murmur in kitten grade 3/4...

[pepperjack]

Hi!! I am wondering if any one else had a cat with a serious heart murmur and how long the cat lived. The vet(s) told us our little kitty 8 weeks old won't probably live a long life??! And they also told us that he (kitty) probably wouldn't be able to have surgery due to his heart murmur...any body else been through this?

I am worried about this little guy not being able to be fixed when he is older.

Thanks
Pepperjack

 

[petnurse2265]

Little Echo had a similar heart murmur. We followed through with an echocardiogram (hence the name Echo) to find out if it was fixable, it was not. Echo passed away at 8 month's old almost a year ago. Echo would go back and forth to work with me (I work at a vet's) so that way if he needed treatment for something he would not be stressed by the car ride and being at the vet's. He had always had excercise intolerance (he would watch the other kittens play), but as he kept growing it got worse, even a scratching in the litterbox would wind him in the end. With Echo we never worried about the rules the other cats had to follow, no scratching the furniture, no people food (he loved Subway meat and Arby's roast beef (in small amounts of course)).

I would reccomend (if it is feasable for you) to follow through with an echocardiogram to find out how bad it is. We did do this with Echo under anesthesia (gas only) and neutered him at the same time. While the kitten is younger and smaller the better, because with his small size the heart doesn't have to work as hard, but as he grow there is more body to pump blood to. Keep us posted.

 

[semiferal]

It is hard to tell in a young kitten. I had a foster kitten last year who had a level 3 heart murmur and she totally outgrew it and is fine now. Often heart murmurs in young animals (including humans) are benign and outgrown. But sometimes it is a sign of a serious heart condition.

If finances permit, I would recommend a consultation with a board certified veterinary cardiologist for more extensive diagnostics. This will give you the answers you are seeking.