They are able to do this because they can pick up on changes in our behavior, scent, and appearance. Pete is well known as a media veterinarian with regular national tv, radio and newspaper slots, including a weekly column in the Daily Telegraph since 2007. Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition that causes the muscular walls of a cat's heart to thicken, decreasing the heart's efficiency and . The cat may have a heart murmur, which lets the veterinarian know that there is blood moving through the heart in an abnormal direction. Cats may begin to cough, become lethargic, not eat as well, and even become out of breath or pant during normal activities such as walking or playing. These cats should be spayed or neutered to prevent passing on the disease to another generation. Feline heart disease is either congenital (present at birth) or acquired in adulthood. Although a cat will not understand the concept of a heart attack, it may recognize early signs of an impending heart attack. Cats have a very keen sense of smell and can often detect changes in scent that we cannot. Depending on the murmur and the degree of clinical signs, further testing may be advised to determine the cause. And if youre looking for a little extra TLC, they may just be the perfect nurse. While we dont know for sure if this is true, there are some theories out there that suggest cats can tell when youre not feeling well. If left undetected, this can develop into heart failure. As heart disease advances, pet parents may start to notice some signs and symptoms. Valvular heart diseases can make blood flow in the wrong direction. Cats don't have extrasensory perception ( ESP). This isnt hard for a cat not to notice, especially if it has a close relationship with the individual. When a young kitten is diagnosed with heart disease, diagnostic testing will help determine what the prognosis is and whether medical treatment is necessary. Congenital heart disease may also involve a genetic or hereditary disorder, in which case the problem may develop in more than one kitten in the litter. Get practical pet health tips, articles, and insights from our veterinary community delivered weekly to your inbox. This typically doesn't happen in cats. Innocent heart murmurs need no treatment, as they are harmless incidental findings that your veterinarian may mention to you after an examination. Diagnosing heart disease may involve referral to a veterinary cardiologist. Cats, however, do vomit as a result of heart disease, where dogs do not. Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh in 1985 and has run his own 4-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991. Let's dig into it and see what we can uncover. Theyre constantly sniffing us and our belongings, and theyre very good at picking up on subtle changes. If you have a heart condition and your cat starts behaving oddly, its worth mentioning it to your doctor just in case. She mentioned other research that suggested pets had a calming effect. These disorders may or may not be genetic, and many are discovered during a routine examination or cardiology exam. Yes, there are many possible treatment options for most types of feline heart disease. So, even if they cant tell when were sick, were still glad theyre around. Can shingles raise the risk of heart attack? Of course, these behaviors can also be indicative of other health problems, so its always best to consult with a veterinarian if you notice any changes in your cats behavior. Here are some of the things your cat may do when youre sick: 1. Of course, its also possible that cats simply intuitively know when were not feeling well and offer comfort accordingly. If something is amiss, your cat is likely to be the first to know. Some of these tests can be easily done with your local veterinarian, while others may need a veterinary cardiologist to fully diagnose the problem. For instance, the cat may sniff you and recoil or flee in disgust. Persian Cats (domestic long hair). They may not understand exactly whats wrong, but they can tell that something is wrong by your body language and vocalizations. Signs of illness. During a physical exam, your veterinarian may also determine if your cats heart is beating too fast, too slowly, or with an irregular rhythm. However, just because your cat is extra clingy and affectionate toward you, that doesnt mean youre about to die. After all, theres nothing like a little feline love to help you through a tough time. Itll know theres something wrong with your leg. In some cases, the cat will require drugs to restore a normal heart rate and rhythm. How Viagra became a new 'tool' for young men, Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction, Bariatric surgery can treat complications in people with obesity and diabetes. Cornell Feline Health Center. Congenital heart defects begin in the womb as the fetus is developing, and may include these conditions: Most forms of heart disease in cats are acquired in adulthood. The heart, located in the chest, is one of the most essential organs in the body. Cats have an acute sense of smell. As heart disease advances, pet parents may start to notice some signs and symptoms. If the ductus arteriosus fails to close, or is patent, blood flow to the chest, abdomen, and hind limbs is affected. Medications can come in a pill form, liquid form, or in gels that can be applied to a cats ears, called transdermal gels. In other words, when you smile, your cat associates this with positive feelings and vice versa. Dr. Tarantino is part of The Spruce Pets' Veterinary Review Board. Also Read:Cat Bloodwork (Different Types of Tests, Health Conditions And Costs). ACE inhibitors can help relax the blood vessels, enabling the heart to pump blood with less effort and lowering blood pressure. Its true! This means the cat is born with defects of the heart, such as leaky valves, holes in the heart and other anatomic anomalies. Heart disease is less common in cats than in dogs. Cardiomyopathy has several forms: The term "congestive heart failure" broadly refers to heart disease that is so severe that the heart is unable to pump blood forward through the body, causing fluid to back up and accumulate in the lungs or abdomen. Groom you as a way to show their affection. Once the condition has been diagnosed, medications may be used to help the heart function better, normalize the rhythm, or reduce blood pressure. But what do our feline friends do when were not feeling well? This causes weakness or paralysis in both hind legs, and can be a very painful problem, requiring urgent veterinary treatment. If your kitten is not growing at a normal rate, heart disease may be the underlying reason. Congenital heart defects are uncommon in cats. If your cat has other medical conditions such as kidney disease, hypertension, or pulmonary disease, it can make treating the heart failure more complicated. Prognosis can vary depending on when the heart disease is identified, what the condition is, and how effective treatment is. Unless there is a congenital defect that can be corrected with surgery, feline heart disease is typically treated with medication. When you get home from work the dog demands attention, you have to take it for a walk, dogs need to be fed according to a routine, whereas cats can practically take care of themselves. Cats arent considered to be as attuned to human emotions as dogs. For example, you may have a cast applied on your arm and make facial expressions that signal pain. Most frequently, it is "saddle thrombus," by which a blood clot lodges at the end of the aorta and cuts off proper blood supply to the hind legs. However, there are some anecdotal reports from cat owners who claim that their pets did indeed seem to know when something was wrong, even before diagnosis. This means heart disease develops in a previously healthy cat, with problems such as cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) and valves that degenerate and start to leak. Furthermore, cats can understand body cues and facial expressions. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is rarer, and is most commonly caused by a nutritional deficiency, specifically an amino acid called taurine. This occurs due to turbulence in the blood flowing through the heart. The reason has to do with hormonal fluctuations created in our bodies with illness. 3. By Its a diagnosis that no one wants to hear. The study, published in the journal Animal Cognition, found that cats are looking at their owners for signals, or what is known as "social referencing". Some develop due to genetic predisposition while others may be connected to other health issues like obesity, hypertension, kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism. Dilated Cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart has a decreased ability to pump or contract due to weak heart muscle tissue. Qureshi said having pets probably helped to relieve stress. And just like any good friend, theyll want to do whatever they can to help you feel better. He also write a regular blog at www.petethevet.com. the heart muscle which pumps the blood around the body, the heart valves which act to prevent the blood going in the wrong direction, the pericardium which is a tough membrane surrounding and protecting the heart, the electrical conducting system which acts to initiate and transfer electrical impulses around the heart allowing it to contract or beat in a systematic and coordinated fashion, sudden hind leg paralysis accompanied by pain due to thromboembolism (blood clots) which may be referred to as a saddle thrombus. Diuretics (such as furosemide) act to remove fluid from the system, which is helpful in many types of heart disease when the signs of illness are caused by fluid accumulation in the lungs or abdomen. Of course, we cant say for sure if cats can really sense when were sick. Heart disease can be present from birth due to heart defects, but it can also be acquired later in life from causes like other feline health problems. There are many stories of cats behaving in strange ways around people who later turned out to have heart problems. In feral colonies, this is speculated to allow cats to avoid carriers of diseases. If heart disease in cats is diagnosed early enough and properly treated, it delays the onset and can even prevent progression to heart failure. Your vet may notice that your cat's heart sounds abnormal when listening with a stethoscope. The appropriate treatment for your cat's heart disease depends on the type and severity of the heart disease. Congenital heart disease may be caused by a developmental problem that causes malformation of the heart as the embryo develops. However, its not clear how well cats can sense illness in people and more research is needed to confirm these findings. A new study suggests that during the first 7 days of a respiratory infection, the risk of having a heart attack is 17 times higher. Fortunately, many types of heart disease in cats can be well managed with medication and monitoring. Cats may begin to cough, become lethargic, not eat as well, and even become out of breath or pant during normal activities such as walking or playing. When this happens, blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is cut off and that piece of heart muscle dies. Difficulty breathing. In some cases, the cat will require drugs to restore a normal heart rate and rhythm. A severe form of heart muscle disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) is seen in some Maine Coon cats. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim, but it is possible that cats are more attuned to changes in our physiology than we realize. Dr Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet from Edinburgh in 1985 and has run his own 4-veterinarian companion animal practice in County Wicklow, Ireland, since 1991. Many cats with rhythm disturbances show relatively few signs of disease. Often the cause is unknown, but its more common in some pedigreed cat breeds, including Maine Coon cats, and Ragdolls, suggesting a genetic cause in some cases. This breed also has a high incidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Your veterinarian will make specific recommendations to you based on your cat's needs. They can read facial expressions, such as wincing and grimacing, and accurately deduce that you are in pain. Heart disease in cats cannot always be prevented. Once heart disease has been identified, your veterinarian will normally recommend further diagnostic testing to find out the underlying cause of your cats abnormal heart. This is because they can hear high-pitched frequencies that we cannot. How Do You Keep A Cat Out Of A Certain Room. The definitive diagnosis will be obtained via an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound). In some cases, the cat will start to obsessively sniff or lick a particular spot on their humans body. Qureshi, who own a cat called Ninja, said they had expected to see an effect, because the theory was plausible, but the size of the link was a surprise. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. In general terms, heart disease can be divided into two categories, congenital and adult onset forms. Pheromones are very similar to hormones, just secreted outside of the body! Type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline: Is Tai chi more effective than walking? Do you ever get the feeling that your cat knows when youre not feeling well? Pets eating fish-only foods (naturally low in taurine) run the risk of damaging their hearts in this way. Symptoms are pain and the inability to walk normally on the hind legs. Advancing age is not a disease. A recent study showed that 33% of Maine Coon cats had a genetic abnormality related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Detailed analysis of heart disease is usually accomplished with an echocardiogram (so-called echocardiography) or an ultrasound examination of the heart. Place their paw on your arm or hand as a gentle reminder that theyre there for you. This may be seen when cats are fed a canine diet or unbalanced home prepared food, but commercial cat food is sufficiently supplemented with taurine, so this is rarely seen now. Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart muscle is too weak to meet the bodys demands. This type of congenital heart disease may only affect a single kitten in the litter. However, if your cat does seem to be acting differently and you are concerned about the possibility of a tumor, it is always best to consult with your veterinarian. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, its been revealed that cancer might have a smell that cats can detect. These chemical compounds have a pungent scent that cats can more easily recognize. If left untreated, heart disease can cause other serious symptoms in the body and potentially be fatal. In addition, cats can also hear our heartbeat, which can give them an indication of our overall health. Most cardiac disorders diagnosed in cats are called cardiomyopathies. Well, they may start by acting differently around us. Cats can sense how people are feeling, so your cat actually can tell when you're sad. Let's keep going to discover more about this unique ability. Cats that live in retirement homes and similar environments tend to be more familiar with the scent of death.. A diagnosis of heart disease in your cat can be worrying. However, they can sense broken bones by observing their owners physical and behavioral changes. Lastly, cats may start to groom themselves more when they sense illness. Cats also have a keen sense of smell and may detect chemical changes in the body that are produced by sickness. Interestingly, your cat may learn to recognize signs that your blood sugar is low simply by observing your behavior. Theres no definitive answer to this question, as theres no scientific evidence to support or refute the claim that cats can detect mental illness in humans. We all know that our feline friends are attuned to our moods and behaviors. But here are some clues that you can use to look for signs of heart disease in your cat: 1.
