Cat has a Heart Murmur - what to do?

picklekin

Just came back from the vets, took my cat there because she has a small lump on her ear, she said that it was "likely to be benign" which I did not find very reassuring!

She then did a quick exam of the cat as she doesn't go very often, being a house cat. She said that she has a heart murmur is a very offhand way, I asked what to do about it, and she seemed very dismissive. She said I could "book another consultation, but without insurance xrays etc were very expensive" and she put the cat back in her box and that was that!

Can anyone tell me what I should do about this? Is this something very serious I should be panicking about? My cat is 16 years old and seems fit as a fiddle, not as fast as she once was, but she's not a spring chicken! Are there symptoms I should watch for before acting, or should I go back soon and get more tests done?

tom9980

Given she is 16 i would do nothing unless she seemed distressed. The fact is its more likely the stress of ongoing investigation will do more harm than good at her age anyway.

Yorkie_Pud

First thing is change the vet

farfromhome

I agree with YorkiePud - change the vet! I would not be happy with a response of "likely to be benign". I would want a second opinion.

I had a vet in the past who virtually accused me of being paranoid when I came back with my then cat several times because she was not improving (different problem). When I finally changed vets, the problem took far longer to treat than if the first vet had checked my cat over properly. Also found out later that the first vet apparently didn't like cats!

With regards to the heart murmur, I know from friends that investigating further can become very expensive and they had to take their cat to a specialist centre several times. Your cat is 16 and I have found once they get to that age, visits to the vet, perhaps with a long car journey, and having to stay overnight perhaps, can be very stressful.

picklekin

I wont see that vet again that's for sure, the other two at the practice are very nice so that's OK, I only took this as a last minute appointment but wont make that mistake again!

We called them back and asked more questions, as we didn't feel we'd really made the most of it. the lump is a skin growth or something, and nothing to be worried about. They also said we could go see a heart specialist in another vets. We called them and the appt is £120 without any tests and would mean leaving her there all day.

I think we'll leave it, she's happy and seems to be healthy, the stress of all this will just make any heart conditions worse. I'll just give her more cuddles then normal!

farfromhome

I think we'll leave it, she's happy and seems to be healthy, the stress of all this will just make any heart conditions worse. I'll just give her more cuddles then normal![/QUOTE]

Picklekin - that's exactly what I would do!

Shoshannah

Hugs for your kittie, she's an old lady xxx

Lumps are always a difficult thing. It is impossible to know for sure what a lump is just from looking and feeling, but most are benign so I wouldn't disagree with your vet there, even though I understand your concerns over her delivery.

To know for sure, you'll need some further tests. An FNA (fine-needle aspirate) involves popping a needle into the lump and drawing out some cells, then looking at those cells under the microscope. In most cases, the slides will be sent off to a pathology lab for experienced eyes to examine, though some vets are happy doing it themselves in-house if they are quite experienced with cytology.

FNAs can be performed conscious and are minimally invasive, but have limitations. It is not always possible to provide an exact diagnosis from a small sample of cells. The next step would be a biopsy - taking an actual piece of the lump surgically and sending it away for an exact diagnosis. In small lumps, it is often better to remove the entire thing rather than messing about taking a piece. In large masses, you may have no choice but to take a small piece.

Biopsies often require sedation or anaesthetic. While an FNA sounds achievable in your cat's case, I guess you have to ask yourself whether or not you would consider surgery for her if the results came back suggesting something concerning? If not, there may be little point in finding out exactly what the lump is, providing it's not ulcerated or painful or causing her any bother. It is something to discuss with her vet (a different one, if you are worried and would like a second opinion).

Heart murmur wise... murmurs are very common in older cats. A murmur is not a diagnosis, merely a symptom of underlying heart disease. In cats, this is usually HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, caused by a thickening of the heart muscle) - but other causes exist so an echo (heart scan) would be needed to confirm the diagnosis behind the murmur.

HCM can occur in any cat and may have genetic components, but as cats get older they can also be prone to other diseases such as high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism, both of which can contribute towards the development of HCM and a heart murmur. Both of the above are treatable with medications. From this point of view, further tests such as a blood screen (especially for kidneys and thyroid) and blood pressure measurement may be warranted if you choose to go down that route, even if you think extensive cardiac diagnostics are not on the cards given her age.

While a murmur is a sign of heart DISEASE, this is distinct from heart FAILURE. Many cats have murmurs but live normal lives and pass away of something completely unrelated. Others, sadly, go into heart failure and will develop symptoms that ultimately are fatal. Signs of this can be very subtle in cats but include heavy or rapid breathing, weight loss and general lethargy. In some cases, the signs of heart failure can come on suddenly and lead to acute respiratory distress with open-mouth breathing, very laboured breathing and collapse.

If you are not happy about the level of information given to you by the vet, ask to see another.

WeAreGhosts

our rescue cat was diagnosed with a murmur by the rescue's own vets.. when we took her to our own vets they could not find anything wrong with her heart, have taken her three times to the vets for various reasons and they cannot hear anything like a murmur

sometimes it is just the stress of being at the vets that cause a slight abnormality with the heart, or can "appear" to a vets ears to be an abnormality.

hope you sort the lump out. sometimes they are fatty cysts and are nothing to worry about, they are common in older cats and can grow to extreme proportions! i knew a cat once with one on his head, it was huge [ he was a semi-stray] and it didnt bother him, but he looked quite comical.

scaredy_cat

my old cat had a heart murmur, i was told it was minor but in actuality, it caused her heart to thicken and her blood pressure to rise so much that it burst the blood vessels in her eyes so she went blind. this was when she was about 16 yrs old.

She went on meds to reduce her bp and beta blockers to slow her heart rate - she lived to the ripe old age of 22!!

so, please get the murmur checked out. my vets did an ultrascan of her heart and she had 6 monthly blood pressure checks.

picklekin

Thanks for your replies, very informative.. I've decided to let the poor girl alone and just giver her a bit more fuss, food and cuddles. She was playing fetch with a ball of paper this morning and seems just dandy. If the worst happens then she's had a good life, I do worry that I'd have that "I should have done something" but that's just something we'll have to face if it happens.

purpleshoes_2

They can be temporary as someone else said. Hope all is ok.