Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Feline Heart Disease

What Does Feline Heart Disease Look Like? Can It Be Cured?

One of the scarier conditions for cats is heart disease -- and sometimes, if we're not paying close attention, we might not even realize our cat has it at all. Cats with heart disease may show symptoms such as panting, dry coughing, easily getting tired, labored breathing, and mucous membranes turning a bluish-purple color due to lack of oxygen or poor blood circulation. They may also experience paralysis in their hind end, caused by a blood clot blocking a blood vessel.

How Can You Tell If Your Cat Has Heart Disease?

Certain cat breeds have a much higher chance of developing heart disease than others, such as the Sphynx, Maine Coon, and Ragdoll. Symptoms of heart disease in cats can be difficult to spot with the naked eye alone. If you suspect your cat may have heart disease, we recommend taking them to see a veterinarian, who will use several diagnostic methods, such as:

• Listening to the heart and lungs
• X-rays to check for an enlarged heart
• An electrocardiogram (EKG) to check for irregular heart rhythms, and echocardiography (echo) to assess the heart's structure and function
• Blood and urine tests, to check for abnormalities in other internal organs

Can Feline Heart Disease Be Completely Cured?

To be honest, feline heart disease can't be completely cured once your cat has it. But fortunately, we can still manage and relieve their symptoms with medication or other treatments as recommended by your veterinarian, depending on the symptoms, stage, and severity of the disease. That means even if our cat has heart disease, they can still enjoy a good quality of life and stay with us happily for a long time to come. 🐱💕