As with any living thing, for cats, the heart is the most important organ. If the "motor" of your favorite pet begins to take, then this leads to serious complications. The owner of the four-legged is most difficult because the animal is not able to list the symptoms from which it suffers. Therefore, the owners of cats have to watch how their pets suffer from pain, but can not help them.
It is worth noting that heart failure in cats is quite common. As a rule, this is due to the fact that there is a malfunction in the heart muscle. Against this background, stagnation begins, and the tissues do not receive the necessary amount of blood. In the future, such problems lead to a malfunction in the normal functioning of the animal.
It is noteworthy that both chronic and acute heart failure are found in cats, but the first type is most often diagnosed.
Pathology basics
By and large, heart failure is a whole collection of certain disorders that occur in the heart muscle. Due to such problems, the contractility of the heart is complicated, accordingly, blood circulation is disturbed, and the organs of the body do not receive the necessary nutrition. This condition is considered quite dangerous, since the animal is constantly on the verge between life and death. If it comes to a critical situation, then the performance of the heart may completely stop.
Some animals begin to feel a little better over time. They run again, jump and behave quite energetically. However, this leads to an exacerbation of heart failure in cats, which can cause asphyxiation.
If we talk about the acute form of this pathology, then it is not found in animals as often as in humans. This is because the biochemical composition of the body of the four-legged is different from the human. Also, much depends on the method of pet nutrition. As a rule, heart failure in cats occurs if the pet is already over 6 years old. However, like people, some of them are prone to congenital heart defects. In this case, the first problems may appear already at the age of 6 months.
Diagnostics
If we talk about the symptoms and treatment of heart failure in cats, then first of all it is worth realizing that only a specialist can accurately determine this pathology. As a rule, in order to understand that animals suffer from this pathology, it is not enough to use a phonendoscope and a thermometer. More serious research is required. Therefore, it is better if an experienced veterinarian with extensive experience will determine the symptoms and treatment of heart failure in cats. In Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities, veterinary clinics can offer pet owners a full range of services. Such institutions have all the necessary equipment.
If you suspect that the pet is suffering from this pathology, it is necessary to conduct biochemical blood tests. According to the results of this diagnosis, it is much easier for a specialist to understand why the animal suffers from heart failure.
There are also several more methods that can accurately identify the cause of the problems. First of all, a survey is conducted on the owner of the animal. He should describe as much as possible the daily life of the pet and list all the changes that have happened to him recently.
The specialist must listen, palpate the cat and determine the visual as well as physiological changes. Many believe that measuring pressure in animals does not bring any results. However, these indicators also help identify problems with the cardiovascular system. It is better if the clinic will have equipment for ECG. This diagnostic method is considered one of the most reliable in determining problems with the heart muscle.
Radiography is also recommended. In the picture, the doctor will be able to see exactly how the heart is located, and specify its size. Ultrasound is also performed for animals. However, it should be borne in mind that not every rural doctor is able to correctly read the results of this study. If you had to deal with a person who is not a specialist, then he can distort the clinical picture and erroneously prescribe the wrong treatment.
Varieties of Heart Failure in Cats
If we talk about the acute form, then in this case in animals it is significantly different from similar manifestations in humans. In this case, there is no one particular factor that leads to the closure of the coronary vessel. Sometimes signs of heart failure in cats appear against the background of atherosclerosis. From such a pathology, the animal can begin to suffer due to malnutrition.
Just like with any person, a cat's vessels may become clogged with cholesterol plaques. Animals are prone to heart attacks. Very often, seizures occur against the background of malfunctioning of the endocrine and nervous system.
Also, these animals are very susceptible to stressful situations. If you leave your pet alone for a long period of time, then this can cause severe stress and heart failure. It is also worth noting that a very serious harm to the psychological state of the animal is caused during the procedure by pulling out the claws. In this situation, there are cases when animals simply died from a heart attack. Therefore, it is worthwhile to find other ways to preserve your furniture.
Chronic form
This variety is much more common. However, there is no pattern depending on the age and breed of the animal. In chronic pathology, the disease can progress over a very long period of time. In this case, no serious symptoms of heart failure in cats, the owners of animals do not note.
This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the heart of cats has excellent compensatory abilities. Therefore, it is far from always possible to guess that a beloved pet is sick.
Reasons for the development of pathology
Before you begin treatment for heart failure in cats, you need to understand what exactly provoked this condition. This pathology can develop in an animal for several reasons. For example, it appears against the background:
- Congenital malformations. At a very early age, kittens are very painful, some begin to lag behind and die.
- Breed predisposition. There is a certain category of cats that are more likely to encounter problems with the cardiovascular system. These include the British, Persians, Sphinxes and Scots.
- Complications of infectious diseases. If a young kitten is faced with a serious viral infection, then there is a big risk that this will negatively affect the work of his heart.
- Unbalanced diet. If you feed the animal with boiled offal, it is not surprising that after a while it will begin to encounter such problems.
- Age. Like a person, the animal is wearing out internal organs. Therefore, animals over six years old are more susceptible to various pathologies.
Manifestation of the disease
Considering left ventricular and right ventricular heart failure in cats, it is worth noting that there are 4 degrees of development of a dangerous pathology. As a rule, the first and second stages are usually asymptomatic. The first clinical signs are observed only with the third degree of development of the disease, when decompensation occurs. This means that the animal’s body simply cannot cope with the process of regulating blood on its own.
Accordingly, the heart muscle is forced to maintain increased loads. In this case, quite noticeable symptoms appear. First of all, the animal begins to suffer from quite severe shortness of breath. Moreover, most often it appears already at the beginning of serious physical activity. After some time, shortness of breath is also present if the animal is completely at rest. This suggests that the disease is gradually starting to progress.
The appearance of shortness of breath is due to the fact that congestion occurs in the lungs. Liquid begins to accumulate in the pleural cavity of the cat's body. Against this background, the animal begins to breathe very loudly and deeply. There are frequent cases of pulmonary edema in heart failure in cats. This happens with fairly serious lesions.
Also, a cough may begin in a cat, and it can be either barking or normal. Most often, especially severe coughing attacks occur after active games or during the physical activity of the animal.
In addition, with heart failure, a large amount of fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity of cats. In this case, the peritoneum increases significantly and becomes elastic. If you try to tap the belly of the pet with light movements, then in this case there will be the so-called wave effect. In this case, there is no reason to suspect obesity, most likely, fluid has accumulated in the abdomen.
Treatment
After making a diagnosis, it is necessary to begin therapeutic procedures as soon as possible. Otherwise, the pet may die. First of all, the doctor prescribes a diet. In addition, you will have to limit your pet to drink. It is necessary to ensure that the animal is not subjected to serious physical exertion. If possible, it is worth taking the cat to fresh air.
If we talk about drugs for cats with heart failure, then, as a rule, it all depends on the stage of the disease. In addition to the changes that have already occurred in the heart muscle, the specialist takes into account the age of the animal, breed and other aspects.
Emergency help
Sometimes you may encounter the fact that against the background of heart failure the hind legs of a cat have failed. What should I do if the animal becomes noticeably worse and faints? If the pet is in an unconscious state and at the same time has obvious problems, it is necessary to perform some manipulations to bring the pet to feelings.
First of all, it is necessary to lay the animal on its back and turned its head to the side. After that, it is important to pull the tongue out of the mouth so that it does not block the airways. On the forehead of the pet you need to apply a cold compress. The front paws must be thrown over the head of the animal so that the blood flow begins to flow not to the limbs, but to the brain. After this, you must immediately call a specialist.
If we are talking about acute insufficiency, then in this case it is necessary to ensure that the animal is constantly at rest. In no case should you bring it to stress, so it is better not to turn on the TV and not to use a vacuum cleaner.
When serious symptoms of heart failure in cats appear, treatment includes the use of diuretics. If necessary, the specialist sucks the fluid that accumulates in the chest and abdominal cavity.
Of the drugs, inhibitors can be used that reduce the load on the myocardium. With the help of droppers, cardiac glycosides, glucose and electrolytes are introduced into the body of the animal.
If we are talking about a chronic form of the disease, you will have to completely abandon natural nutrition. You need to choose a specialized cat food. With heart failure, it is important to ensure that the diet contains as little sodium and more taurine as possible.
As a rule, doctors are allowed to use diuretics at home. These funds help remove excess fluid from the pet's body to prevent pulmonary edema. With a decrease in the amount of fluid, accordingly, the load on the heart muscle decreases.
Can Corvalol and iodine be used for treatment
If a person has a heart attack, then, as a rule, he uses certain drops to help him improve his condition. If we talk about cats, then “Corvalol”, “Valocordin” and “Valerian” are also allowed for use. Of course, the dosage of these drugs should be significantly reduced. It is very difficult to calculate it yourself, so it is better to consult a specialist.
The same situation is with iodine. However, experts recommend using not standard liquid, but blue iodine or iodomarin.
Prevention
So that the animal does not have to face this unpleasant pathology, it is necessary to pay more attention to it. First of all, it is worth choosing the right kitten. It is best to carefully study his family tree, get information about who his parents were, what diseases they suffered, etc.
If in the history of a kitten’s illness there are already cases of heart attacks or other pathologies of the cardiovascular apparatus, it is better not to acquire such an animal or to be immediately prepared for the fact that you will have to constantly be under the supervision of a veterinarian.
It is important to ensure that the pet does not lead a sedentary lifestyle and does not begin to suffer from obesity. As well as for humans, such phenomena do not have any health benefits. It is very important that the animal’s diet is balanced, so do not feed it the same thing, use exclusively natural food or offer him the cheapest dry food. It is better to give preference to Premium Class food, which contains less by-products and harmful chemical additives. Also, the animal should always have access to clean drinking water.
Finally
If we talk about chronic insufficiency, then, unlike congenital pathologies of the heart, it lends itself well to treatment. Especially if you diagnose the problem at an early stage of development.
It is also worth paying attention to the pedigree predisposition to the disease. However, these problems can occur in cats of any type. Therefore, it is important to monitor any changes in the condition and behavior of the pet. If he became less active, then this is the first sign of possible problems.