Heart Murmur In Cats Uk

Normally two distinct sounds are heard when listening to the heart of a normal dog or cat.

Heart murmur in cats uk. Just as a fever can be something or nothing a murmur can be similar. A heart murmur is an unusual sound that can be heard with a stethoscope when listening to a cats heartbeat. This results in an abnormal noise which can be heard by your vet when listening with a stethoscope.

However heart murmurs in cats cause a peculiar swishing sound whilst the heartbeats. Audio 01 - Normal Dog Audio 02 - Pansystolic Murmur Audio 03 - Continuous Murmur Audio 04 - Soft Systolic Murmur Audio 05 - Stenotic Murmur Video 01 Audio 06. These are often described as lub and dub.

A cat with a heart murmur that is caused by a structural heart disease or an extracardiac problem will generally have some sort of symptoms or clinical signs that can be attributed to the disease. On its own a heart murmur is not a reliable indicator of heart function and is commonly found in healthy cats. It can also show where a heart murmur is originating from.

The life expectancy depends on the cause of the murmur. Cats with benign or innocent murmurs will have a normal life span while cats with heart murmurs caused by life threatening structural defects of the heart may only live for months or a few years. Other symptoms for heart issues you can watch for during veterinary visits include a heart murmur abnormal lung sounds or irregular heartbeat.

It may be insignificant however it could also be a symptom of a disease that requires treatment. Being told that your pet has a heart murmur can be very daunting. Studies indicate that as many as 50 of cats have a heart murmur.

A heart scan costs me around 600 to 700 with a specialist. Heart murmur is also known as heart arrhythmia. Ask your veterinarian to screen for these issues once a year in order to know if your Ragdoll needs further attention.