Heart Murmur In Cats And Anesthesia

There are usually no external symptoms clinical signs of a heart murmur in itself.

Heart murmur in cats and anesthesia. A systematic evaluation of murmur characteristics is indicated when a heart murmur is detected in a cat. The ultrasonographer will tell us if this murmur is serious or not. I think that sometimes cats with mild heart murmurs suffer much more from things like severe dental disease that goes unchecked because of the fear of putting them under anesthesia.

A heart murmur is an abnormal sound heard when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Anesthesia paired with any cardiological condition poses a serious risk and many veterinarians will refuse to perform the operation entirely if they suspect a murmur. ANESTHESIA FOR FELINE PATIENTS WITH HEART DISEASE Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy HCM is the most common cardiac disease in cats.

Heart murmurs are most commonly a result of a compromised heart valve. Anesthetic events known medical conditions and previous ad-verse drug responses. The murmur may first appear at 6-8 weeks of age and a kitten with an innocent heart murmur will usually outgrow it by about 4-5 months of age.

More if there is more complication. If the heart murmur is severe enough to cause heart disease such as congestive heart failure then signs such as coughing difficulty breathing rapid breathing or even collapse may be seen. Many practitioners are reluctant to anesthetize patients with a murmur yet not all heart diseases are alike and they certainly do not carry the same risks.

Identify all prescribed and over-the-counter medications including aspirin and supplements to avoid ad-verse drug interactions1 Physical examination. Anaesthesia in dogs and cats with cardiac disease. The presence or absence of a murmur is not a good predictor of heart disease in cats.

But sometimes the position cats are standing in when we listen can affect the sounds we hear. Yes certain heart conditions do increase the risk of general anesthesia. Some normal adult cats may have an intermittent heart murmur that shows.