Heart attack in cats
Heart attacks in cats can happen. It sounds terrifying, but no one is immune to illness. And it's impossible to predict when and what kind of illness a pet will develop. It's easier for humans: they get heart trouble, go to the vet, and manage to prevent it. But with animals, it's much more complicated. They can't tell you where, how long, or how severe the pain is. And often, owners notice the symptoms of heart disease in their cats too late.
Myocardial infarction in cats, though rare, does occur. And it poses just as much of a health and life-threatening risk to the pet as it does to humans. This is because myocardial infarction is the death of a section of the heart muscle. As a result, the heart ceases to function normally, and the entire body seems to "fall apart." Without proper treatment, the pet will die.
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Causes of heart attacks in cats
The following are traditionally recorded causes of heart attack in cats:
| Age-related changes | These changes are most often related to hormonal changes. And in general, with age, the heart's workload becomes increasingly strained. And physical activity leads to even greater wear and tear on the heart in old age. Of course, exercise in normal amounts is beneficial; it strengthens all muscles. But moderation is key. It's also important to consider the animal's well-being. After all, be kind to your aging pet. |
| Poor nutrition |
This leads to cholesterol deposits on the walls of blood vessels. This impedes blood flow, leading to oxygen starvation. Without oxygen, cells die. This increases the risk of heart attack in cats. |
| A detached blood clot |
This leads to vascular obstruction. This, in turn, disrupts tissue nutrition. Due to a lack of oxygen, tissues die. This is the cause of myocardial infarction in cats. |
| Other reasons | Vascular problems: inflammatory processes (including those caused by bacterial infections) and congenital anomalies can also cause heart attacks in cats. |
Factors that trigger heart attacks in cats
Stress
A sensitive cat can die from a heart attack even due to minor stress. For example, from a simple veterinary intervention such as restraint or an injection. The heart won't rupture, but simply stop due to a complete imbalance of the nervous and hormonal systems.
Physical activity
Cats' ancestors, like their closest relatives, always hunted from ambush. They are not known for pursuing prey for long periods. After all, if a feline experiences prolonged physical exertion, it develops tachycardia. This is especially true for domestic cats, and if a pet gets too carried away, the blood volume in the circulatory system decreases. This leads to low blood pressure and, in fatal cases, a heart attack.
Cats rarely suffer from metabolic disorders that lead to the development of cholesterol plaques, atherosclerosis, and thickening of the vascular walls. Therefore, even elderly animals experience good cardiac health. In most cases, heart attacks in cats are caused by an uncontrolled congenital heart defect.
Another reason is – vasculitisThis disease affects the walls of blood vessels, leading to impaired blood flow and myocardial necrosis. Infarction in cats can also develop due to blood clots, helminths, and emboli (air bubbles, blood clots, foreign bodies, etc.) that clog the vessels.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a heart attack in cats aren't easy to piece together. Sometimes these signs go unnoticed, or the owner realizes their pet is seriously ill too late. Sometimes, the pet doesn't have time to receive qualified veterinary care. However, there are also cases where the pet dies almost immediately. The symptoms of a heart attack in cats don't have time to develop, and the owner has no time to take action.
- Because the heart's function deteriorates, cyanosis of the mucous membranes develops. That is, they become bluish.
- Along with heart failure, cats also develop respiratory failure. The animal experiences severe shortness of breath. Physical exertion makes the condition worse.
- The gait is unsteady. The pet itself is very lethargic. It tries not to move unnecessarily.
- Sometimes owners don't notice lethargy because the pet is overly excited due to severe pain in the chest area and in the left elbow area (the cat won't say where it hurts, and it's very difficult for the veterinarian to determine this).
- The heart rhythm changes. The pulse quickens.
- The most obvious symptom of a heart attack in a cat is the results of an echocardiogram and ECG. However, cardiac pathologies must be ruled out.
It's rare to encounter a case like a massive heart attack in a cat, but your pet definitely needs immediate medical attention. The most important thing is to avoid disturbing your pet, avoid trying to feed it, lift it, or react to anything. Your pet is likely suffering from severe pain at this point. Your pet may limp on its left front paw. This is due to elbow pain. The pain then spreads to the chest. It's important to remember that your pet should only be transported to the clinic in a carrier with a solid base.
As mentioned, myocardial infarction in cats displays subtle symptoms. Therefore, a veterinarian will first conduct a series of tests to rule out conditions such as cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, and other cardiovascular pathologies with similar symptoms. Tests such as an echocardiogram and an ECG can also help confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment of cats after a heart attack
Treatment of cats that have suffered a myocardial infarction should only be carried out by a veterinarian! You should not self-prescribe medications or increase the dosage of prescribed medications. Even if someone you know has had a similar problem with their pet, you should not follow their prescribed treatment regimen.
In most cases, nitroglycerin and its analogues are prescribed, as well as anticoagulants to prevent blood clots. A dietary review is essential. Easily digestible foods (carbohydrates, protein—fermented milk products are permitted) are essential.
In any case of a heart attack, a cat is given a saline drip to protect the animal from dehydration. Additionally, the pet is given injections of the solution. glucose and saline solution, changing them in turn.
As a therapeutic treatment after a heart attack, the cat is prescribed blood thinning medications, heart support medications, and sedatives.
During treatment, it's important to ensure that children don't bother the cat with games; it doesn't just need rest. Stress, sudden movements, loud noises, strong odors, etc., can trigger another attack.
It's important to understand that a complete cure for your pet is impossible. After all, a section of the myocardium has already died. A scar may have formed in its place, preventing the heart muscle from contracting normally. Physical activity should be avoided. However, your pet's mental health should also be taken care of. Stress and nervous overload can lead to a second heart attack, which will almost certainly result in the animal's death.
The heart should be protected. Avoid allowing the heart rate to increase significantly. Hormonal therapy may be required (if the cat's heart attack is due to hormonal imbalance).
Heart attack prevention in cats
Preventing heart attacks in cats is difficult because they are extremely difficult to avoid. Although this condition is rare in animals, it does develop. All an owner can do is provide a balanced diet (nothing fatty). The diet should not alter metabolism, and plaque should not form in the blood vessels. Furthermore, the blood should not clot excessively (otherwise, there is a high risk of thrombus formation). Therefore, provide plenty of water.
In most cases, timely and proper treatment of a cat's heart attack saves the animal from the sad fate of disability or death. Medical therapy includes procedures such as:
- taking sedatives;
- taking blood thinners;
- taking diuretics;
- cardiac stimulation, etc. at the discretion of the veterinarian.
The animal needs to be provided with the necessary conditions for recovery and rest. Cats with heart attacks are also prescribed dietary therapy. This typically involves a light, low-fat diet. Beef, lamb, liver, and cheese are also prohibited.
Remember, the best cure is prevention. It's better to prevent a disease from developing than to cry later because your pet is suffering.
By the way, I think you will be interested to know that scientists have not only established whether cats have heart attacks or stroke, but also identified the cause of heart failure. It turns out that the disease most often develops due to a deficiency of the essential amino acid taurine.
Recently, the efforts of veterinarians and nutritionists in this area have begun to bear fruit. Taurine is now added to cat food by default, without always being stated on the packaging, which has led to a significant reduction in the incidence of heart disease in our beloved pets.
If you have any questions about heart attacks in cats, please ask them in the comments.
Video about heart disease in cats:
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22 comments
Natalia
Hello. Help!!! I have 3 female cats and 2 male cats. The male cat who needs help is 5 years old. He was neutered in his second year. My son and I have been sick with a mild case of COVID for a week. One cat started sneezing a week ago. Now everyone is sneezing. The cat has started breathing strangely: his stomach is shaking, his tongue is sticking out a little (as if he is exhaling). This started during the day. There is no vomiting. He ate a little boneless mackerel. He sneezes rarely, lies breathing, and his mouth is slightly open, with his tongue sticking out. I examined his mouth and didn't see anything. About 3 days ago, I put a flea collar on him, but it was a thin dog collar. I cut it in half and put it on the cats. I put them on the others a week earlier. One cat vomited green liquid. Everyone is sneezing, eating, no diarrhea, and no vomiting. The cat's nose is wet and cold. Could you tell me if he also got COVID or was poisoned by the collar? The collar contains 10% diazinon. Maybe it shouldn't have been used because it's for dogs, or maybe it contains more diazinon?
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! You can't use medications intended for dogs on cats! Especially against fleas and ticks, since they may contain piperazine, which is toxic to cats. Yes, this collar doesn't contain it. But the dosage is designed for dogs! Furthermore, the active ingredient itself is classified as hazard class 3 (not the safest). The instructions clearly describe the symptoms of intolerance (an overdose will cause the same symptoms). These include rapid breathing, profuse salivation, and vomiting. Remove the medication immediately! Animals should be thoroughly washed. Ideally, they should be given IVs to "cleanse" their blood. However, viral infections cannot be ruled out if the animals are not vaccinated.
Vadim
Hello, my cat is 20 years old. After she stopped eating and drinking for two weeks and had vaginal discharge, I took her to the vet. She had never given birth before. The vet diagnosed inflammation of the uterus and a uterine tumor. He prescribed an antibiotic (gentamicin) and a furacilin rinse. After three days of injections, my cat has a temperature of 37.4°C (98.4°F). She's not eating, shaking, and has no vestibular system. I took her to the vet, where she received a caffeine injection. The next day, I took her to another vet, who diagnosed a heart attack after looking into her eyes and listening to my story about the previous days. He sent her home to die. What can I do to make things easier?
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! A strange diagnosis without any tests, based solely on your stories. In the first case, it was most likely pyometra (a purulent inflammation in the uterus). And if the pyometra is closed, it can lead to uterine rupture, sepsis, and a slow, painful death. Surgery was needed, at least an ultrasound. Not only antibiotics but also medications to dilate the cervix, allowing the purulent contents to drain from the uterine cavity. In the second case, at least a biochemical analysis would have been necessary. The results would have revealed any muscle or cardiac necrosis or other problems. And if it really was a heart attack, then, unfortunately, treatment should have been started within the first few hours (maximum 24 hours). There's no point in starting it later.
Tatiana
I had a 17-year-old cat who got sick. He had kidney, liver, and heart problems, and they removed a oozing tumor from his paw. A week ago, he started vomiting and had severe diarrhea, and wasn't eating. His mucous membranes were pale. I came home and found him lying under the bed, breathing heavily. I picked him up, force-fed him, and he started screaming in pain. The doctor gave him a shot of No-Shpa. Five minutes later, the cat screamed and died. Is this a heart attack?
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! There's a chance it was him, but it's not a given. How much No-Spa did you inject? I hope you administered it slowly (injecting large amounts quickly can cause a sharp drop in blood pressure, potentially leading to paralysis of the limb where the medication was injected). Has cancer and metastases been ruled out? I suspect the cat had cancer, which also caused anemia, kidney failure, and liver failure. All of this could have led to death, and your injection played no role. So don't blame yourself. It was just an unfortunate coincidence.
Svetlana
Kitten, 1.5 months old. Everything was fine yesterday evening. Today he's lying there like a vegetable, his eyes are glassy, everything around his mouth is blue, and he's barely breathing. What is this and why could it have happened?
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! Well, if it's blue, it's either heart or lung failure (organ dysfunction). It could be choking, a congenital condition (like a heart defect, for example), or poisoning. How can I tell you exactly what happened if you don't know? You need an examination, a physical examination, an ultrasound, and probably IVs. But the longer you wait, the lower the kitten's chances of survival. You can't help it at home. Moreover, I can't prescribe treatment without a diagnosis. And I won't guess what's wrong with the animal or prescribe a treatment plan at my own risk (diagnosing it remotely is too risky; you'll be blamed anyway).
Elena
Hello, my cat felt unwell yesterday evening. He started breathing heavily and meowing, swaying, and his heart was beating very fast. I picked him up. The vet told me to give him a couple of drops of diluted Corvalol. After that, he started drooling, opened his mouth, and breathed like a dog. I thought that was it. I opened the window and held him upright in my arms. I was scared, but everything turned out okay... I can't take him to the clinic because I'm afraid of the street. What happened? What should I do? My cat is 10 years old. But when he sleeps, he snores loudly, and when he's at rest, his heart beats as if he's running.
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! There are a huge number of cardiovascular diseases. Shortness of breath is obvious, and Corvalol alone won't cure it. I hope it doesn't lead to pulmonary edema. A cardiac examination is essential as soon as possible (ultrasound, echocardiogram, ECG). Without these tests, diagnosis and treatment are impossible. Prescribing medications at random, especially if cardiovascular pathology is suspected, is life-threatening. And giving "human" medications is also undesirable. Overdosing is extremely easy.
Catherine
Hello. Our cat has had a heart attack and we suspect she's pregnant. Could you please tell me if she can give birth and how will this affect her health and the health of her offspring? She's young, about 9 months old.
Dasha is a veterinarian
Hello! This is an extremely difficult situation. Childbirth puts significant strain on the heart. But a hysterectomy is also scary, as she might not survive the anesthesia. How was the diagnosis made? At random? Or was an ECG, blood chemistry, or ultrasound performed? What were the symptoms? A sudden heart attack out of nowhere is extremely rare for a young cat. Perhaps they didn't properly examine her and misdiagnosed her? What treatment did they prescribe?
Catherine
An ECG showed a heart attack. It's already healed. We've been treating our cat since she was a kitten. We took her in from the street as a sick kitten. She had an infectious disease that led to complications with her heart. We treated her with Zoocard tablets and injections.
Natalia
Hello. We have two cats, a boy and a girl, both neutered, a year apart in age, the boy being older. The boy is a Scottish Fold, and the girl is a British Straight. The older one got a fungal infection a year ago. It was really scary. At first, the doctors said it was an allergy. Eventually, we found a clinic where they treated him, but it was quite a long road. About six months later, he fully recovered. Neither of them has had any other illnesses, they are all doing well, active, friendly, and a great couple. But the other day they were running around playing like always, I was in another room, I heard someone breathing very heavily, like shortness of breath... I ran into the hallway to the cat, and he was on his last breath, my husband gave him CPR and mouth-to-mouth, but after a couple of seconds he completely stopped breathing, turned blue, both his tongue and mouth... And that's it ((( The vet we called couldn't even tell us what to do, except that it was probably suffocation, although the first thing they did was check to make sure he wasn't choking on anything, his mouth was clear, his throat was clear (we then read on the internet that a cat can be resuscitated within 30 minutes, even if he's no longer breathing... Is that true??? And can we conclude that our little one, who is only 2.5 years old, had a heart attack? Did we have a chance?
Dasha is a veterinarian
Hello! Just think about it. Cats and dogs are basically the same as people. Who would try to resuscitate a person half an hour after breathing or heart failure? There's no chance. The brain dies without oxygen within minutes. So don't beat yourself up; you wouldn't have had time to do anything. If you wanted to know the cause, you could have taken your pet for an autopsy. And they would have definitely given you the pathological diagnosis. Although, few owners dare take their pet for an autopsy. The cause could have been not only a heart attack, but also a blood clot in any major vessel supplying the brain, heart, or lungs. Heart failure is also a possibility. Veterinarians don't always have time to help an animal, and you, untrained, without experience or special medications, could not have saved your cat. My condolences on the loss of a family member, albeit a four-legged one...
Vladimir
I'm in a tragedy. I had a kitten running around the yard that I really liked. No one would let me pick it up. I managed to catch it. It didn't make it about 10 meters to the apartment when it suddenly went limp and brought back a dead body.
It's so offensive it makes me cry.
Indira
Hello! Today, a dog attacked our disabled cat (she was dragging her hind legs). I managed to drive her away, but she managed to tangle her up a bit. There was no blood or broken bones, but literally within 2-3 minutes, she started breathing intermittently and died in my arms. I even tried CPR. I'm in shock; my husband says she died of fear. Is this possible?
Dasha is a veterinarian
Hello! My condolences on your loss. Your husband may be right. Indeed, the cat could have had a heart attack due to severe fright (a sudden surge of adrenaline due to fear and pain, with an increased heart rate and breathing). The heart simply couldn't handle the strain. Another possibility is that internal bleeding could have developed due to trauma (hemorrhagic shock, massive blood loss). Disabled animals often have hypotonic muscles (very weak due to lack of physical activity), and their blood vessels are also weak, so the trauma could have damaged the vessels and organs. But the truth is now impossible to know, and, unfortunately, there's no way to help the animal.
Oksana
Hello, our six-month-old Scottish Fold cat. We noticed she suddenly stopped playing, eating, and drinking, and was lying on the floor with her tongue hanging out. We took her to the vet, and they told us she has viral leukemia. Veterinarians came today, did an ECG, and diagnosed her with a congenital heart defect, a massive infarction, and incipient pulmonary edema. Will she survive this diagnosis?
Dasha is a veterinarian
Hello! Heart attacks in pets require serious and ongoing treatment. Unfortunately, not all animals survive. The incipient pulmonary edema needed to be treated immediately! Did the veterinarians who arrived at your home fail to provide emergency care? The situation is complicated by the diagnosis of a congenital heart defect. That's a lot of pathologies for one young kitten. If you don't seek qualified veterinary care, it won't survive long. However, you should be prepared for lengthy and expensive treatment, and there's no guarantee your pet will survive.
Love
Please tell me why when a cat eats it sticks out its tongue?
Dasha is a veterinarian
Does this only happen when the cat is eating? Or does the tongue protrude during physical activity as well? How does the cat behave when at rest? Has breathing changed (maybe it's become more rapid or shallow)? Have any other symptoms developed? How long has this been going on in the cat?
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