Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Cats

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a rare form of heart muscle disease. It is characterized by a thickening of the walls of the heart, which leads to an inadequate amount of blood being
pumped out into the body when the heart contracts during the systolic phase.

When the heart relaxes between contractions during the diastolic phase, an insufficient amount of blood will fill the chambers of the heart. Ultimately, HCM often will lead to congestive heart failure.

Signs
Most pets with HCM will not exhibit any symptoms of the disease. If your pet is symptomatic, it will exhibit signs of congestive heart failure. These include:
• Exercise intolerance • Shortness of breath
• Coughing • Bluish discoloration of the skin.

Very rarely, a pet with HCM may experience a transient loss of consciousness, or fainting, during a high level of activity or exercise.

During a physical veterinary examination, a pet with HCM may exhibit systolic heart murmur, and a heart gallop. Unfortunately, in most cases, the most commonly reported clinical sign
of HCM is sudden, fatal heart failure.

[emily]

My cat was diagnosed with this exactly a year ago today and I’m here to give some hope!!
Last year we took her to the vet a few times, no heart murmur was heard but wasn’t eaten well and developed rapid breathing. She had an ultrasound and they found lots of water on her chest (not lungs) this was drained and they noticed the left side of her heart had thickened. I asked the vet how long they thought she had left, she said she couldn’t tell me exactly but said it could be months or it could be years and years- it was impossible for her to estimate. After 2 nights at the vets she came home and started daily medication. Libeo and clopidogrel.
Here we are a year later and she’s sitting next to me sleeping. It hasn’t been plain sailing, she’s had to go back to the vet twice this year after a spell of not eating but I’d say she is doing well. She still plays and has a good quality of life but sleeps a bit more than the average cat, which she has always done since a kitten.
My advice would be to monitor how rapid your cats breathing is. Google says cats should take 15-30 breaths a minute but my vet said 15-40 is normal. DO NOT TRY TO COUNT WHEN THEY'RE PURRING. Cats breath much faster when they’re purring so don’t scare yourself! Weirdly she still doesn’t seem to have a heart murmur and different vets have tried to listen. She may develop this later down the line? But I hope not.
Trust your gut and take them to the vet if they seem off.

[boysmom]

Thank you for this video. My cat died suddenly 3 days ago. Necropsy revealed HCM. He had a heart murmur for years, died suddenly at 8. He had a great quality of life up until his sudden demise. He had odd symptoms over the years…3 separate times, a year or more apart, he didn’t eat as well, lost weight. But then he improved and regained.

[DividedWeakness]

My cat had HCM. He was diagnosed with heart murmur and asthma at 2 years old he almost made it to 8 but went into heart failure and wasn't responding to treatment. I had to put him to sleep, he declined so quickly. I always thought I would have more time with him. Such a terrible disease.

[reallauradee]

I don't understand why any form of treatment is done only when the disease has advanced into a more apparent complication. Why isn't anything done to lessen those symptoms?

[Jeffa]

My 13 week old kitten died on Wednesday night from HMC. He hadn’t eaten through the day possibly due to the heat, he sat in out cat box and didn’t want to get out, maybe that was a sign he needed to go to the vets. It was sudden and sudden death and we’re all shocked. He was fine through out the day, he was in the living room with my dad and the next minute his legs gave way, coughing like he was chocking, his lungs full of fluid, crapped him self and was taken to the 24hr vets. My parents believe he had lost consciousness in the car. The vets did the best they could but unfortunately his lungs were to full and he died. Can’t believe it. Now we’re getting all the kittens checked to make sure. This HMC is ab asshole and is genetic. Kittens from 3 months can have this without even knowing… I miss him soo much. 😢😿😭💔

[xxicecatxx]

My cat name was bubba, ge died on august 12th at 1am. He was only 4 and extremely loving. No signs or indications of HCM, but that night, he was breathing heavily, and has his tongue out, which never happened before.

He was pronouced dead in 2 hours . He was found to have HCM and a level 6 of latex acid in him, the normal level is 2.

He died in my arms and i was so scared that i couldn't even comfort him other than to look into his eyes for his final moments

I miss you bubba you were my loving sweet friend who comforted me from morning to night, greet me at door everytime and always wanted to play. I love you friend, i will see you soon. 🧡

[Mphx]

My little splash, my best friend died of heart failure about a month ago. The day of my wife and I's ten year wedding anniversary. We had her for 8 wonderful years. Up until a week before she died, she showed absolutely no signs, apparently cats naturally do not show weakness on purpose as a natural defense mechanism. She gave us no warning, she was asking for treats and playing even just a week before. She slept in my arms every night for 8 years. My little companion. She was put to sleep in my arms one last time at the emergency vet, getting kisses from mom and dad. She went peacefully as possible. I miss her so badly. Please, learn from me, take your cat for regular checkups even if they seem healthy, get vet insurance its not that expensive. I got her her regular shots, and checkups, but never really in depth tests and blood work. I regret it.

[TheeZombieDinosaurs]

My cat that I adopted from the pound had this and she unfortunately died once she developed the cat flu also contracted at the pound.. they couldn't get her well they tried so hard and the vets were wonderful but it was one of the hardest things I experienced especially since it was on the weekend and It was so expensive but the vet did some tests for free for me to diagnose her but because she had underlying HCM (which I hadn't heard of before I lost her) it made it almost impossible for her to fight a simple cold she developed water on the lungs and heart fast and we had to make the decision to put her to sleep it was the first time I'd stayed with an animal all the way through but that's how much I loved her I wouldn't let her be alone (no one warned me that the eyes stay open or that the fluid from her lungs would leak out through her nose afterwards which throughly traumatized me).

After all this i have been spreading the word about HCM.

[drEmulatorMadmax]

my 18 getting on to 19 year old died wednesday night (back story he was on the new sofa, my mum stroked him he then jumped off went for a wee in the catbox jumped on my bed, started gasping for breath at which point i thought he was being sick so i said to my mum take him in the bathroom, he screamed, his tail went bushy, he pooped himself, then stumbled around in one litter box went in the other litter box stumbled around then went floppy and died ,
i say this if your cat has any form of heart problem make sure they go to the vets regularly ! .
my old lad had been breathing really roughly (fluid around the heart (it had a muffled sound as did his singing )and in his pleural cavity also known as the pleural space which had been drained twice, once in august last year, and then nearly 3 weeks latter (the vet had said to reduce the amount of frusol a diuretic) after the second draining of 260ml i was given a drug called cardalis which kept him breathing better for about 4 months, i also took him to a cardiologist who gave me vetmedin, aparently he had 4 points of valvular regurgitation (that's when the valves of the heart don't close, sad thing is that made him worse, he was violently ill two weeks ago first he was straining to poo then he was sick, so i took him back to the vets who said his heart was galopping about 190 beats per minute so i was given propranalol which worked but obviously he was in end stage hcm . he will be deaply missed
*rest in piece my old pud bud* scooby 2002-2020

[_samandriel]

My cat diagnosed with blood clot today. It’s just happen out of nowhere, no sign of illness at all prior to that. She was suddenly growling in pain, couldn’t walk with both of her back legs, breathing fast. First, I thought something fell on her but couldn’t find anything falling down. Went to the vet and realised that it was very serious. They put her in oxygen case straight away. It was too quick, too soon.

[emily]

It turns out my cat was misdiagnosed. She had an echocardiogram and no sign of HCM. The new vet thinks she may have had an injury (which caused the fluid to build up around her chest and thickened side of her heart)but everything is fine. I had my suspicions because no vet has ever heard a heart murmur with her. I’m just so happy she’s okay.

[Devil-]

My cat just died two days ago on the 26th of September at the age of 11😭. When I just had him as a kitten the vet might of thought she heard a little bit of heart murmur, trough his life nothing was wrong with him until last year he couldn't walk to good with his back legs, took him to the vet had some antibiotics and medicine and after three weeks was able to walk again. I thought it was due to an injury because he just caught a bird, and perhaps he hurt his back by it. Last Sunday he was laying on a strange spot underneath a low table, and was starting to walk bad again. Monday he was the same laying in a hide spot breathing rapidly and walking difficult. Made an appointment with the vet but this was on Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning I found him passed away 😭

[i_love_rescue_animals]

My cat, Knox, just got diagnosed with this. He's 7 years old. I knew he had a serious (grade 4) heart murmur - for several years. Then recently, he lost all his energy and his appetite (which might be related to something else). My cat's thyroid was also tested - and he is normal, so it's not due to hyperthyroidism. He's on lasix, plavix and some other heart medicine now.

[laurafloyd]

Sad day today, had to let my yo-yo 15 yr old male kitty go. Yo-yo had HCM & Heart failure Left ventricular enlargement, pleural effusion had returned after two tries of thoracentesis, CKD, Anemia And medication but had to let him. Crushed hearts we have.

[emmajames]

My cat was diagnosed with HCM back in January. She went vets to be put under to have some teeth taken out. Died for a few minutes as soon as the anaesthetic went into her. She didnt have teeth out and did xrays which showed a heart condition i wasnt aware of. She turned 7 two weeks ago. Currently waiting for more scans to be done as I dunno if she has any blood clots, how bad her HCM is or how long she has left. She's my baby.

[artemisajaimes]

My little 3 almost 4 years old cat just died last Saturday Sept 5th, 2020 - she had liquid into her tórax and lungs and also a 1.14 cms gross from the “septo diastole” (don’t know what it is in English) associated to a probable hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 😭

[holliejennings]

My cat died yesterday due to her heart. She was diagnosed with heart murmur when she was 12.. and it just gave up on her :( 6 years later

[paohaqui]

My cat was just was diagnosed with ATE
feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with secondary iliac thromboembolism
He had exactly those symptoms and we don't have much hope according to the vet 😢 he said he was going to give him aspirin and check how he reacted to the medication

[liveonce]

Can a clot in the heart cause fluid around the heart?

[PotooBurd]

This is so informative!!! Fantastic video; I love this kind of content!🌻🌼🐝