Congenital heart disease (CHD) means a structural defect of the heart or great vessels present at birth. It is uncommon in cats, at about 0.1% to 0.2% of cats in large clinic populations, but it is the first thing to rule out when a kitten has a loud or unusual murmur at its first vaccination visit.
Key facts
Congenital abnormalities (including patent ductus arteriosus) at a glance- Species and system: cat; cardiovascular.
- Frequency: 0.2% of patient cats and 8% of cats with heart disease in a Swedish referral study; 0.14% of 57,025 mixed-breed cats in a US study.
- Most common defects: VSD and other AV septal defects, AV valve dysplasia, PDA; aortic and pulmonic stenosis and tetralogy of Fallot are less common.
- Classic presentation: murmur in an otherwise healthy kitten; some present with CHF, cyanosis or stunted growth.
- Diagnosis: echocardiography with Doppler.
- 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, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 13 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.