Arrrgh....Heart murmur advice?

[bicentennial_baby]

Hi all...Kitteh had his annual checkup today. He's 1 yr, 2 mos. old. Anyway, our normal Vet detected a slight murmur this time last year, and we had it checked again in August, and she thought it was gone. Today, a different Vet (same practice) says it's still there. Frustrating!

He graded it 1-2, out of 6. We have the option of getting the ultrasound to see what's going on, or to just monitor it. He says it sounds the same as when kitteh got neutered in December, and that it hasn't progressed, so that's good. He's a normal cat, very active, etc.

Other than that, he's in perfect health.

Any advice?

:)

[ceile]

1. My kitty had one and she lived to be almost 11.

We had to put her down on Friday and it had nothing to do w/ her heart murmur. It became more pronounced later in life, but it did not effect her in any way. If your vet is concerned and thinks the ultra sound is necessary, then do it. But from my experience just monitoring it would be sufficient.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. He didn't seem concerned really...Just mentioned the diagnostic options

I guess I'll talk to Sniffa and see what he wants to do. Maybe I'll call the Vet and talk about it some more.

Thanks!

[Tammie]

3. Mine had a heart murmur too

It didn't seem to cause any trouble until she was about 18 years old. She fainted one day. An EKG revealed nothing so we did an ultrasound and then it was discovered that she had a heart defect that she was most likely born with. Aortic stenosis was the diagnosis and she was put on medication for it. She lived a good long life and I had to let her go last year at the ripe old age of 19 (nearly 20) years. She had cancer.

I think if one of my other cats had a murmur I probably would do the ultrasound just to be on the safe side. I'm pretty sure, though, that my vet would try to talk me out of it. He thinks I overreact and I probably do.

[hamsterjill]

4. My cat has a grade 2

My cat went in for some surgery late last year, and in the course of the pre-surgical testing, it was discovered that he has a mild heart murmur.

Our vet (a cat specialist) has him on a medication called "lotensin" and it seems to be controlling the situation. You might ask your vet if this is a situation where that medication might be beneficial. It is not terribly expensive.

[kestrel91316]

5. We USED TO just shrug off these little heart murmurs in kitties

as nothing to worry about, and in fact some of the ARE nothing to worry about. But a significant percentage of these cats turn out to have very real heart disease. Especially the MALES. There is an inherited form of cardiomyopathy (hypertrophic) that is not just seen in Maine Coons, but in the general cat population.

My own kitty at home turned up with a murmur and very rapid heart rate a couple of years ago and scared the bejeebus out of me because I had just gone to Gary Norsworthy's lecture on feline heart disease and knew what the score was. I slapped him on benazepril (very similar to lotensin) and atenolol (to slow his heart down) pronto, and over the next few months the murmur went away (the heart slowed down immediately). I think we dodged a bullet. Haven't had him in to the internist (I know, shoemaker's children and all that!) for ultrasound yet, but his chest Xray is pretty abnormal and I know he's probably a time bomb because his disease is so advanced. I almost don't WANT to know how bad things are........

Word to the wise: you have the opportunity to deal with this at a very early age before it ever causes any major structural changes in the heart (which can be irreversible), and there is some evidence that benazepril can (almost magically) reverse some of those changes. If you can afford it, find out NOW exactly what is going on, get him on any necessary meds, and do what you can to keep it from progressing to a dangerous situation. Oh, and the meds are cheap - I charge $15 for 30 of the benazepril, which lasts 30-60 days depending on the size of the cat. The atenolol is cheap, too. Lotensin (enalapril) might be more since it's a name brand.

[hamsterjill]

6. Norsworthy is my vet!

I live in San Antonio and Gary Norsworthy is my vet. It just so happened that I had the cat back for a follow up this morning. The heart murmur is gone and the cat got a very good report from Dr. Norsworthy overall. This kitty is between five and six years old.

I know you are a vet, Kestrel. I am only a layperson, and I'm always careful to stipulate that one experience may not be the same as another. But in this case, this medication did wonders. This particular cat's heart murmur is genetic, and therefore, he will stay on the lotensin for his lifetime. As I said earlier, it is not expensive thankfully.

We also have a cat with some renal issues that is on lotensin and it has helped that cat, as well.

It is amazing to me what medical science can do these days!!!!

[kestrel91316]

7. I put most of my renal kitties on benazepril (similar to lotensin) and

calcitriol (related to vitamin D) - you can use the calcitriol as long as the PO4 levels are normal, otherwise not. It helps to minimize the Ca/PO4 imbalances that make them feel crappy.

I give my renal patients a MUCH better initial prognosis than I used to, because we have good weapons against it now.

Norsworthy is a genius. Some university types mock him and think he's a hack, but I will beg to differ most emphatically.

[hamsterjill]

8. He is a genius

He gets some grief here locally, too, but in my book, he IS a genius.

He's a little more expensive than most around here, but he's not SO expensive that his services are prohibitive. I've found him to be pretty conservative in what he recommends. We are lucky to have him in the city.

The lotensin runs about $11 bucks a month per cat.

The renal kitty is 14 years old. I believe she is on the calcitrol, as well. (This cat lives with my adult daughter these days). Luckily, her issues were discovered early on, and Norsworthy has been treating her for a little over 3 years with much success. Her quality of life really has not suffered thus far, although her thyroid levels were concerning at her last checkup and he advised us that he will check them again at her next scheduled follow up - and proceed accordingly.

[kestrel91316]

9. My grandparents' cat that I have had as a clinic mascot for years

has both thyroid and renal problems. So we couldn't do the I131 treatment. But she is doing fine for the past two years or more on methimazole and benazepril and calcitriol, and K/D (kidney diet), and she gets subcutaneous fluids three times a week to keep her BUN and Creatinine from climbing. Good thing I get the drugs and stuff at cost, lol. She has excellent quality of life. Oh, and she gets famotidine (Pepcid) for vomiting and buspirone (so we don't freak her out so much with all the pills and fluids as she is a bit nutty). Junkie.

[spooky3]

13. My cat has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - please heed kestrel's advice.

My cat had a heart murmur at the time I adopted him (5 years ago, at about age 6) and I took him to the feline cardiology group that we are fortunate to have in the metro area. After two years of annual echocardiograms and exams at the cardiologist's, I was told he did not need to come back unless my kitty's regular vet noticed a worsening in the murmur during his regular checkups. This turned out to be TERRIBLE advice. Last summer, he began fainting and I immediately took him to the vet. She did not notice a change in the murmur but recommended taking him to a different f. cardiologist. I did, and after another echoc., she diagnosed rather advanced (congenital) h. c. and some additional problems. He is doing surprisingly well on 6 different meds. (He also has IBD and we have not found a diet that solves this problem - we have tried everything - so he still takes Prednisolone as well). However, the more recent cardiologists said that, had we caught this earlier (e.g., if I had not been told he didn't need an echocardiogram annually), his condition would not have deteriorated as badly as it has, they could do more to treat/reverse it partially, and he would have a much longer life expectancy.

I would have gladly taken him back each year if I had been told to do so. He is a wonderfully sweet cat who had more than his share of bad luck without this too.

[yellerpup]

10. Dusty had a heart murmur all his life

and he lived to be 16-1/2. He had other issues as well, but it wasn't the heart murmur that did him in. He never got fat or went outside; don't know if that's why he lived with it for so long tho'.

[Arugula Latte]

11. One of mine (now 15.5 years) has a stress-induced heart murmur

Years ago, we spent close to $1,000 dollars in testing. They finally concluded the murmur was harmless and kicked in because she was stressed to be at the vet.

I have another kitty with a murmur who is almost 11. I think his is more serious. He also has serious dental problems, and I've been putting off getting him a dental because I'm afraid of anesthesia for him. One vet wanted me to get him tested further, but, frankly, I can't really afford the dental, let alone the tests. I almost think it is worth the risk to get him a dental so he won't be in pain. Ugggh. I hate this stuff.

Good luck w/ yours!

[sandyd921]

12. I had a kitty with a slight heart murmur

Vet said he had a slight murmur (I believe it was a 2) at Nicholas' first well kitty check after I adopted him and a year later. The vet did not suggest further testing, but I wish I had. He suffered a saddle thrombus (a kitty stroke) at age two and died. :cry: He was a gorgeous all-white kitty with golden eyes and very precious in every way. I miss him so much!

[spooky3]

14. your story is eerily similar to mine - and my kitty is white with yellow eyes also

and sweeter than sweet. (see details in response to kestrel's post) I am very sorry about your kitty.

[sandyd921]

15. Thank you

Yes, how interesting. Our stories are quite similar.

[RebelOne]

16. My rescue dog had a heart murmur

and he lived to be 13 years old. He died March 13, 2008.