Heart Failure in Cats
Heart Failure in Cats
You want to know about heart failure in cats because as your cat gets older, he is more prone to developing heart problems. Heart failure occurs when your cat does not pump adequate amounts of blood through his body. Cats with heart failure are often tired and they may also cough more frequently than usual, and they sometimes experience shortness of breath. As the heart failure progresses, some cats experience sleeplessness and other cats may experience a loss of appetite. As for the cause of heart failure in cats, they are similar to those in humans. The aging process is one cause of heart failure in cats and this is because the heart is weaker at this stage in life. Cats who are born with heart defects often deal with heart failure.
You Can Prevent Heart Failure With a Better Diet
According to some veterinary experts, you can prevent heart failure in cats by giving them a balanced diet and by having them play often for exercise purposes. You want to avoid canned and dry cat food that are high in sodium and calories as well as grains because these cause heart problems for the cat in the long run. Look for cat food that has all natural ingredients and without additives. You can also make your own homemade cat food with lean proteins.
Cats with Enlarged Hearts
Some cats have enlarged hearts and this occurs when the heart cannot pump blood through the body quickly enough and the main symptoms of an enlarged heart in cats include breathing difficulties, weight loss, weakness, loss of appetite and a lack of energy to play and move around. The cat with an enlarged heart may also experience heart murmurs.
Treatment for Cat Heart Problems
When you bring the cat to the veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment for heart problems, the veterinarian will look for signs of heart issues such as an irregular heartbeat, increased heart rate, and other symptoms such as breathing problems. The veterinarian will then have a chest X-ray to see if the cat’s heart is enlarged. As for treatment for the cat’s problems, the veterinarian may use one of a variety of medicines. These include beta blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and aspirin.
When you discover that your cat is having heart problems, you don’t want to panic because if you get early diagnosis and treatment, you can prolong the cat’s life. Be truthful and specific about your cat’s symptoms and you want to follow the veterinarian’s directions closely when giving medicine to the cat. Even after you give the cat medicine for a period of weeks, you want to monitor his progress so that you can alert the veterinarian of any reactions tro the medicines. If you prefer to give the cat herbal or other naturopathic remedies, find out if they are safe to give to cats. Finally, seek out research studies that deal with cats’ heart health.