oh god help im panicing

just bought lily back from having her booster and the vet says she has a slight heart murmur, she is having a heart scan next week.
i feel sick with worry, my first cat had a heart murmur and died. anyone had any experience with this?

__________________

I was warned by the vet the much missed Beckett had a pronounced heart murmur before he was neutered, so bad he might not survive the anaesthetic and the vet went on to tell me even if he did, he he could just keel over without warning at any time.

He was fine and lived like a typical mad-cat (and then some) for 18 months before suspected poisoning brought his premature end. I was tempted to *wrap him in cotton wool* but he wouldn't have been happy, so I just let him get on with being the cat he was. I can't say as I noticed any problems with him having a murmur tho'.

Here's hoping Lily gets the all clear.

Ian

__________________
RIP Black Tom and Beckett, not just cats, they were my cats and the best ever.

__________________

One of mine has a very bad heart murmur - the type where they could keel over any minute. She is on beta blockers. She has passed two deadline and is now over two years down the line and doesn't look like she is going anywhere yet. It is very disheartening when they are diagnosed but you do the best you can with the time they have left. It wouldn't surprise me if Minnii manages another 10 years!

__________________
please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

Try not to worry too much. Many MANY cats have low grade (1-2) murmers and live full lives. Dexter our 2 year old Maine Coon has a grade 2 murmur and it's not slowing hime down too much! Also a lot of cats tent to grow out of it if still young. Have a read of the info we were given:

A heart murmur may be heard by your veterinary surgeon when he listens to your cat's heart. A heart murmur is caused by turbulent blood flow within the heart or the large vessels exiting the heart. This results in an abnormal noise which can be detected by the vet during examination. Heart murmurs are assessed and graded according to certain criteria. Grades I-VI are documented (I being the most mild and VI the most severe) and recorded. The grading system is based largely on how loud the murmur is compared to the other normal heart sounds but other factors are also considered, such as the area over which the murmur is audible.

The grade of the heart murmur does not necessarily correlate with the degree of severity of the heart problem. Some severe heart conditions in cats are not associated with a heart murmur (see cardiomyopathy information sheet).

Although many heart conditions are associated with heart murmurs there are also various other conditions that can cause a heart murmur. In young kittens, heart murmurs may be heard at first examination as an incidental finding but these may well not be present at examination 6 months later. Anaemia is another cause of heart murmurs in cats but the cats often show other signs of lethargy and anorexia as well. Occasionally cats are reported to have incidental murmurs as adults and this is called a 'physiological murmur' - ie, the blood flow within the large vessels exiting the heart can be heard as a murmur, but this is usually of no clinical significance and does not result in clinical disease.



When a heart murmur is first detected in a cat, any other clinical signs that would alert the vet to other clinical problems (ie, lethargy, abnormal respiratory pattern/rate/effort, pale gums) are assessed and investigations will be performed to establish the underlying problem. If however the cat is very well at home, shows no other clinical signs of a problem and exercises normally, then your vet may suggest a repeat examination in 3-6 months time to reassess the heart murmur and see if it has changed in any way or if the cat has developed any other clinical signs. Often if the cat is well and the heart murmur is unchanged, periodic examination will be recommended. The only way to determine if there is any disease within the heart itself that may be causing the murmur is to perform a detailed ultrasound examination (normally performed in the conscious animal) of the heart (this is a specialist procedure and will often require a highly experienced specialist) together with an ECG if indicated. In addition to heart murmurs, another abnormality that may occasionally be heard is a 'gallop' sound which signifies an abnormality in the function of the heart. This may either be a primary heart problem (such as cardiomyopathy - see FAB advice sheet), or an alteration in the speed of blood flow through the heart (as occurs in anaemia or hyperthyroidism). As gallop sounds represent potentially serious conditions, they warrant further investigation.

__________________
"Always turn and look when your cat gazes behind you with that intent look in her eyes. Some day there might actually be something there." - T.S. Eliot

I know the feeling. Having taken my cat Holly to the same vets for about 9 years I was mortified when I tried a new one and he suspected a heart murmur. All I can say is that for those 9 years she didn't behave any differently to the other 4 cats so it certainly didn't inhibit her quality of life.

We are now back at the original vets and they can't detect a problem, so God only knows whether she has one or not, but either way please try to avoid the mad panic because it doesn't have to mean your cat will be majorly affected.

Hi

My 2 kittens at 12 weeks went for their jabs and the vet said they both had heart murmours. I was distraught but since researching into more I have managed to calm down a little... they go back next week and I am praying that they have disappeared. Fingers crossed for you

__________________

thanks all, ive been reading up on the subject. lily is going for a heart scan next wed to see whats up, fingers crossed!!

__________________