Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle itself, and they are the most common heart diseases of adult cats. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) alone affects roughly 15% of the general cat population, mostly as silent disease, but a minority of cats develop congestive heart failure (CHF), arterial thromboembolism (ATE) or sudden death.
Key facts
Cardiomyopathy at a glance- Species and system: cat; cardiovascular.
- Phenotypes: HCM (most common, about 60% of referred cases), restrictive (RCM), dilated (DCM, now under 5%), arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC) and nonspecific phenotype.
- Genetics: MYBPC3 mutations in Maine Coon (A31P) and Ragdoll (R820W) cats; most affected cats are nonpedigree.
- Classic presentation: older male cat with sudden tachypnea and dyspnea, or acute painful hindlimb paralysis; many cats are subclinical with a murmur or gallop.
- Key prognostic marker: left atrial (LA) size.
- Not zoonotic, not reportable.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention and control
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 2 figures, 3 self-test questions and 9 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.