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Feline Heart Murmur/Normal Echoe

Sonopath Forum

Feline Heart Murmur/Normal Echoe

Today I performed an echoe on a cat that was referred to me due to the presence of a systolic heart murmur (grade3/6) that had been present for a few years. The cat was 14 years old and needed an anesthesia for a bone biopsy of a lesion in the femur. The echoe was completely normal – no evidence of HCM, SAM, MR, TR, LAE or DRVOTO. Pulmonary and aortic velocities were wnl.

So, do I assume she has a benign dynamic physiological heart murmur? She is a nervous cat so we may never be able to listen to her heart in the clinic when it is at a slower rate.

Today I performed an echoe on a cat that was referred to me due to the presence of a systolic heart murmur (grade3/6) that had been present for a few years. The cat was 14 years old and needed an anesthesia for a bone biopsy of a lesion in the femur. The echoe was completely normal – no evidence of HCM, SAM, MR, TR, LAE or DRVOTO. Pulmonary and aortic velocities were wnl.

So, do I assume she has a benign dynamic physiological heart murmur? She is a nervous cat so we may never be able to listen to her heart in the clinic when it is at a slower rate. I hate it when I can’t find the source of a murmur!

Can I assume this cat would not be at risk for anesthetic complication (outside normal risk factors of course)?

Jacquie

Comments

Anonymous

Stress may be causing the
Stress may be causing the murmur. Other possibilities would be hyperthyroidism, anemia, hyperviscosity from hyperglobulinemia or polycythemia; which should be excluded prior to anaesthesia.

Anonymous

Stress may be causing the
Stress may be causing the murmur. Other possibilities would be hyperthyroidism, anemia, hyperviscosity from hyperglobulinemia or polycythemia; which should be excluded prior to anaesthesia.

Anonymous

Thanks Remo
Bloodwork has

Thanks Remo
Bloodwork has ruled out all of those above mentioned conditions. In addition, I recommended chest x-rays as precaution prior to anesthesia (in case the bone lesion is neoplastic).

Anonymous

Thanks Remo
Bloodwork has

Thanks Remo
Bloodwork has ruled out all of those above mentioned conditions. In addition, I recommended chest x-rays as precaution prior to anesthesia (in case the bone lesion is neoplastic).

Anonymous

Jacquie no worries we all run
Jacquie no worries we all run into this. I think its usually lvot turbulence along with the factors remo mentioned and may even change if you hang the cat by its tail:)
Bottom line is “benign flow murmur” usually satisfies everyone when the wall thicknesses and chambers and fs% are all wnl. Age related change basically.
i usually give them thyroid and bop tasks to do and cbc chem ua if not already done to look for systemic disease that may be causing volume contraction, anemia and so forth.

Anonymous

Jacquie no worries we all run
Jacquie no worries we all run into this. I think its usually lvot turbulence along with the factors remo mentioned and may even change if you hang the cat by its tail:)
Bottom line is “benign flow murmur” usually satisfies everyone when the wall thicknesses and chambers and fs% are all wnl. Age related change basically.
i usually give them thyroid and bop tasks to do and cbc chem ua if not already done to look for systemic disease that may be causing volume contraction, anemia and so forth.

Anonymous

Taking about DRVOTO, How do
Taking about DRVOTO, How do you diagnose it? I attend a talk last week from a Cardiologist and he mentioned it and explained what it is, but he didnt explain what do you see on the echo. Any hints regarding this?

Anonymous

Taking about DRVOTO, How do
Taking about DRVOTO, How do you diagnose it? I attend a talk last week from a Cardiologist and he mentioned it and explained what it is, but he didnt explain what do you see on the echo. Any hints regarding this?

Anonymous

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic outflow obstruction pattern along the RVOTO, that means the profile is dagger shaped. Turbulence can be seen either on CDI or with PW-Doppler (no envelope curve). I will try to upload an image the next days.
Peter

Anonymous

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic outflow obstruction pattern along the RVOTO, that means the profile is dagger shaped. Turbulence can be seen either on CDI or with PW-Doppler (no envelope curve). I will try to upload an image the next days.
Peter

Anonymous

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic outflow obstruction pattern along the RVOT, that means the profile is dagger shaped. Turbulence can be seen either on CDI or with PW-Doppler (no envelope curve). I will try to upload an image the next days.
Peter

Anonymous

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic

Hi!
DRVOTO causes a dynamic outflow obstruction pattern along the RVOT, that means the profile is dagger shaped. Turbulence can be seen either on CDI or with PW-Doppler (no envelope curve). I will try to upload an image the next days.
Peter