Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian. Often cats will alter their activity levels to those that … Chief among these conditions are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in the cat as well as arrhythmic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in cats and Boxer dogs, and non-hypertrophied restrictive cardiomyopathy in cats. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease in cats. J Feline Med Surg 5 (4), 209-216 PubMed. In-depth Information on Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Cats. CAUSE: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most commonly diagnosed cardiac disease in cats. Cardiomyopathy is a term used to describe diseases of the heart muscle. Other causes conditions that might lead to heart disease similar to that of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy include: acromegaly, arterial hypertension , and even subaortic stenosis (chiefly a canine problem). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats is more common in male cats than female cats, and the average age of onset is between five to seven years, though kittens as young as three months may be at risk. This results in a reduced volume within the ventricles (major chambers of the heart), so reducing the volume of … Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can progress rapidly in some cats, while in others, the condition remains relatively static for years. Koffas H, Dukes-McEwan J, Corcoran B M et al (2006) Pulsed tissue Doppler imaging in normal cats and cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) – this is the most common form of heart disease in cats and occurs where there is an increase in the thickness of the muscular wall of the heart. Read on to know more about the causes, diagnosis, treatment, etc. Cardiomyopathy in Cats There are two forms of cardiomyopathy in cats : Dilated (the heart wall becomes thin) and hypertrophic (the heart wall thickens). J Vet Intern Med 20 (1), 65-77 PubMed. HCM ("enlarged heart muscle disease") is an inherited disorder in which the muscular walls of the heart become abnormally thickened. This disease is thought to be genetic; therefore, there is no preventative care. HCM causes progressive thickening (hypertrophy) of the heart muscle (left ventricle) and dilation of the left atrium. Background: Left atrial (LA) enlargement, congestive heart failure (CHF), and aortic thromboembolism (ATE) are associated with decreased survival in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the prognostic value of echocardiographic variables has not been well characterized. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Cats affected with this condition should not be bred. It affects most commonly middle-aged cats (average 6.5 years), but all ages are affected. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a rare form of heart muscle disease. FELINE HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a heart (cardio-) muscle disease (-myopathy) and is the most common form of heart disease is cats. Understanding HCM can help early disease detection and client education. In humans, there is an important hereditary predisposition for HCM in … Read on to learn more about this condition that can seriously affect your cat's health. HCM is the most common form of heart disease in cats and is the result of a genetic mutation(s). Preventive Care. In cats, three classes of cardiomyopathy have been described: hypertrophic, dilated, and intermediate or restrictive cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC/HCM) is the most prevalent feline cardiac disorder. The hallmark feature of HCM is thickening of the left ventricular wall. hypertrophic, restrictive, and dilated. Symptoms of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) The symptoms of HCM vary depending on the degree of severity and perhaps on the different genetic mutations in individual cats. Many cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have no visible symptoms. Thicker walls in the heart means that the chambers that hold blood become smaller, due to the walls taking up more space. In the early stages of disease, the cat may not show any signs of disease. This is referred to as compensated heart disease. With this disease, the heart muscle becomes abnormally thickened, resulting in poor contraction of the heart. Methods: Contemporary clinical and scientific findings were selected from the literature. The former has recently been linked to some cats’ need for larger amounts of taurine (an amino acid) or inefficient way of absorbing this nutrient from the gastrointestinal tract. Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait and is attributed to mutations in one of a number of genes that encode for one of the sarcomere proteins.. About 50-60% of patients with a high index of clinical suspicion for HCM will have a mutation identified in at least 1 of 9 sarcomeric genes. This reduces the volume of blood within the heart and also prevents the heart muscle relaxing properly between contractions. Many cats will have slowly progressive disease that ultimately leads to congestive heart failure. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) often goes undiagnosed until a cat is in heart failure. A significant number of cats with HCM will be fine for a while, only to develop rear limb paralysis due to ATE. Photo courtesy of Morris Animal Foundation. Causes and Risk Factors for Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy "Hypertrophic" is a term that refers to a thickening of the heart muscle. 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