In some cases the cat may faint suddenly from arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm). These clinical signs result from a failure of the heart to efficiently pump blood around the body resulting in pooling of the blood in the veins and excess fluid accumulation in the lungs, chest and abdomen. The major long-term concerns with all types of cardiomyopathies are:ġ. Development of congestive heart failure: Breathlessness (panting, open mouth breathing, increase respiratory effort and rate) and lethargy or weakness is the most frequently noticed signs of congestive heart failure. Occasionally, a heart murmur or alterations in heart rhythm may be detected during routine vet examination and these may be the only evidence of heart disease during the early stages of the disease. This makes it difficult to diagnose cardiomyopathy until it is quite advanced. They may be sleeping more or playing less than the usual, all of which are subtle signs that are difficult to pick up on. Often the cats will alter their activity levels to those that they can cope with. This situation is known as compensated heart disease. In the early stages of the disease, the cat may be able to cope and hence show no overt signs of the disease. The broad range of clinical signs seen in cats with cardiomyopathy depends on the severity of the disease.
What are the clinical signs seen with cardiomyopathy in cats? These days, there is less emphasis on classifying the class of cardiomyopathy, as there seems to be a significant overlap on the type of heart muscle disease. In all cases, the heart disease may result in clinical signs of heart failure.
A fourth cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular cardiomyopathy or ARVC has recently been described but it is very rare. In cats, there are at least 3 classes of cardiomyopthies that have been described, namely hypertrophic, restrictive and dilated cardiomyopathy. In cats, there are at least 3 classes of cardiomyopthies that have been described.
Cardiomyopathy may be seen as a primary condition or secondary to other diseases. Cardiomyopathy is a term used to describe a group of diseases involving the heart muscle.
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