Heart Failure in Cats – symptoms, treatment + life expectancy – Cat Health Vet Advice

Cat that has been diagnosed with heart failure that was only diagnosed when the disease was quite advanced. And she is wondering if the disease really is irreversible, if it is a painful condition, what medication there is to treat it and what the ultimate prognosis is?

– Cats are good at hiding heart disease so it’s often only picked up late – don’t feel guilty
– In most cases the changes are irreversible, especially when picked up late
– May be at least partially reversible if underlying cause – e.g. taurine deficiency or hyperthyroidism

Hear failure is not a painful disease – a cat will feel tired, weak and short of breath. There is though a risk of a blood clot or aortic thromboembolism which is very painful. This is where a blood clot will block the blood flowing to the back legs.
Also, at the end, lungs or chest fill up with fluid – suffocation can be very distressing

I always struggle with treating cats with heart failure as there is not much good quality evidence that very much of what we do makes a really significant difference
– Furosemide to reduce fluid build-up
– Pimobendan may or may not improve how well the heart contracts
– Benazepril or other ACE inhibitor can also reduce salt retention and fluid build-up, as well as reduce blood pressure which may or may not help
– Clopidogrel definitely helps reduce the risk of aortic thromboembolism in at- risk cats. Any cat with heart failure could be considered at-risk if there is no ultrasound available. If ultrasound echocardiography can be performed, then those cats which have “smoke” within the heart – little clots already forming – are at high risk.
– If there is an irregular heart beat, then specific anti-arrhythmia treatment may be needed.

Prognosis and life-expectancy is very varied
– Some cats will only be presented when their chest is full of fluid and will die almost straight away
– In some cases, the disease progresses very quickly, others much more slowly
– Life expectancy of about 6-18 months is a general guideline

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