Sage-Tips

How Long Can cats live with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Once in congestive heart failure, most cats with HCM have a life expectancy of 6 and 18 months.

What are the complications of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

As HCM progresses, it can cause other health problems. People with HCM are at higher risk for developing atrial fibrillation, which can lead to blood clots, stroke and other heart-related complications. HCM may also lead to heart failure. It can also lead to sudden cardiac arrest, but this is rare.

Are cats with HCM in pain?

Aortic thromboembolism, also known as a saddle thrombus, is the most common form – it is one of the most common presenting symptoms of a cat with HCM. This occurs because a blood clot has cut off ALL circulation to one or both hind legs, causing extreme pain and paralysis, and is often fatal.

What is the prognosis for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Indeed, the vast majority of patients with HCM have normal life expectancy without incurring any significant limiting symptoms or adverse disease complications. However, a small number of patients with HCM are at risk for adverse disease-related events, including heart failure and sudden death.

Is heart failure painful for cats?

Some cats with heart disease can develop a painful, paralyzing condition called saddle thrombus if a blood clot develops in the heart and moves out of the aorta. The clot blocks blood flow to a cat’s hind legs, making them cold to the touch or even bluish under the fur.

Can a cat recover from congestive heart failure?

After leaving hospital, most cats survive for three to six months with therapy. Some rare cases have been known to go into remission, usually young cats that experience CHF after a stressful event, but this is not common. The prognosis for FATE is much more guarded, especially if severe signs are present.

Is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy life threatening?

It can cause abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) that may be life threatening. People with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have an increased risk of sudden death, even if they have no other symptoms of the condition.

How does hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cause sudden death?

When patients complain of symptoms, these include: dyspnea, dizziness, syncope and angina. HCM can lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD), mainly due to ventricular tachyarrhythmia or ventricular tachycardia. High-risk patients benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

Is HCM fatal in cats?

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a type of abnormal thickening of the heart, is the most common cause of heart disease in cats. It is often an “occult” silent killer, and it can result in sudden death in cats.

Can a cat live with cardiomyopathy?

HCM is a progressive disease and can be found in kittens as early as 3 months of age and adult cats well into their senior years. What Are the Signs of Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy? If there is relatively mild heart muscle thickening, cats can live a long, full life with HCM and never have any problems.

Can you live a long life with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Research has shown that with proper treatment and follow-ups, most people with HCM live a normal life. A database of 1,297 patients with HCM from the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation identified that 2\% of the patients can live past 90 years, and 69\% of them were women.

How common is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats?

Cats are most commonly affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), with a prevalence of 10-15\% in the general pet cat population [4]. However, breeds such as the Maine Coon cat, Persian, Ragdoll, and Sphynx are at higher risk.

What causes HCM in cats?

The cause of HCM is unknown, although certain breeds of cats appear to be predisposed. Middle-aged male cats may be more commonly affected. Sometimes heart muscle thickening similar to HCM can develop secondary to other disorders such as hyperthyroidism (elevated thyroid hormone) and systemic hypertension (elevated blood pressure).

How long do cats live with cardiomyopathy?

Many cats will live up to three years if properly medicated. If clinical heart disease is already present when cardiomyopathy is detected the survival rate averages three months to three years.

Does cat have stroke or heart attack?

Like humans, cats can have a mini-stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). This means that the symptoms may begin to subside after a day; however, you should still take your cat to the veterinarian even if symptoms decrease in severity.

How long do cats live with heart failure?

In some cases, HCM worsens quickly once diagnosed; in other cases, cats with mild disease may live symptom-free for years. The prognosis is directly related to the severity of the disease and its complications, if present. Once signs of congestive heart failure set in, the life expectancy is 18 months or less.