Most feline heart disease occurs as a form of cardiomyopathy. These are conditions in which the cat's heart muscles are affected. There are three basic types of cardiomyopathy that a Persian cat may experience. These are hypertrophic, which is the most common, dilated and restricted.
Persian cat owners often are completely unaware that their cat has any type of heart trouble until the cat is well into advanced stages of the disease. The condition may not be diagnosed until heart failure appears.
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Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited heart disease that is commonly found in Persian cats and a few other feline breeds. With this condition, part of the heart's muscles are thickened and do not allow the organ to pump blood correctly.
This heart disease affects more male cats than female cats, according to Cat Health, a website offering information pertaining to feline health. A cat may be diagnosed with HCM at any age, but it is most commonly found as a cat reaches adulthood.
Once the condition develops, the cat often suffers from heart failure. There are typically no signs leading up to the failure. Some cats may experience fatigue, appetite loss and vomiting. However, the majority of cats with HCM appear healthy.
While HCM is the most common heart disease in several breeds of cats, the disease may show up slightly different among the types of felines. The condition in Persians shows as asymmetrical septal hypertrophy.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
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Dilated cardiomyopathy also affects the muscles of the heart. However, instead of thickening muscles, the muscle wall becomes thinner. Once thinned, the loose walls cannot pump blood effectively. This condition is most often found in older Persian cats rather than younger ones.
DCM was once a much more commonly diagnosed feline heart disease than it is now. Improved cat foods with amino acids have helped to decrease the number of occurrences of dilated cardiomyopathy. However, Persian cats on poor diets that include dog food or table food are at a higher risk.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM),
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Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a heart condition in Persian cats that causes the muscles to become stiff. Once the heart loses its elasticity, it is more difficult for the blood to be pumped to the body. This is commonly caused by scar tissue and heart muscle inflammation. In many cases, a murmur can be heard when the cat is examined.
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