What Are the Complications for Cats Born With a Severe Heart Murmur?

A kitten born with a congenital malformation of the heart, usually involving heart muscle or valve abnormalities, can develop a heart murmur. With continued monitoring by a veterinarian, she can live a full life with few complications. Depending on the severity and cause of the murmur, the kitten may even grow out of this condition when she reaches 4 to 6 months of age.

  1. Identification

    • A heart murmur is an audible sound produced by turbulence or a disturbance in the blood flow through the chambers of the heart and the surrounding vessels that exit the heart. The presence of a murmur in a kitten can indicate an abnormal heart valve, an abnormal opening in the heart called congenital patency, anemia or an abnormal thyroid function, according to the PetPlace website. Some murmurs do not indicate any type of disease but can indicate poor overall health. Depending on the intensity of the sound, heart murmurs are graded from one to six, with six being the loudest. Other factors that contribute to the severity of the murmur include the character, location, timing and duration in relation to the heartbeat cycle.

    Diagnosis

    • Always consult an experienced veterinarian regarding the health and treatment of your pet. The sound of a heart murmur is heard through a stethoscope by a doctor examining the kitten during a routine exam or she exhibits symptoms of the condition. The symptoms of a heart murmur in a kitten include lethargy, abnormal breathing, panting, pale gums and exercise intolerance, according to the VetInfo website. A veterinarian can properly diagnose this condition by performing an echocardiogram, a type of ultrasound examination on the heart while the kitten is conscious. The doctor will also take blood work to help determine an underlying cause. Because diagnosing a heart murmur in a kitten is harder than in an adult cat, your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary cardiologist for examination.

    Treatment

    • Treating a heart murmur in a kitten usually involves simply monitoring the condition with routine diagnostic imaging every three to six months, depending on the severity of the condition. In kittens, monitoring until 6 months of age to see whether the condition resolves itself may be recommended. If the kitten has an underlying heart disease, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which can be seen as early as 6 months of age, she may develop complications such as blood clots or heart failure. In these cases, medication including beta blockers, diuretics or aspirin can help treat and prevent these complications, recommends PetPlace. A veterinarian may postpone surgery, such as a spay or neuter, until the kitten is older than 6 months because some kittens with severe heart murmurs may suffer complications while under anesthesia, according to VetInfo.

    Warnings

    • Any surgical procedures on a kitten with a health condition such as a heart murmur should be performed with gas anesthesia, such as sevoflurane and isoflurane, rather than injectable, to prevent complications, according to the All Feline Hospital in Nebraska. Do not stress your kitten or have her perform any strenuous activities, which can overexert her and strain her heart muscles. Keep the kitten in a temperature-controlled environment, indoors and out of extreme heat. Your veterinarian may recommend a sodium-restricted or other special medical diet for kittens with heart disease, according to PetPlace. If severe complications, such as collapse or extreme lethargy occur, take the kitten immediately to a veterinarian for treatment, including hospitalization to stabilize her.