What to Expect After a Cat is Diagnosed With an Enlarged Heart
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart, is a disorder in which the left wall in he heart grows and becomes thickened. When your pet has a heart disease, this often is the problem.
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What Happens
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The heart enlargement reduces the ability of the ventricle to fill itself up with blood. This leads to a large amount of blood in the left atrium. Therefore, there is an insufficient amount of blood to be spread to the rest of the body.
Treatment
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The vet will treat your cat by giving him/her cat beta-blockers. These make the heart beat slower and give the blood more time to fill in the chambers of the heart. Another treatment option is angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, which will reduce the heart's work.
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Long-Term Outlook
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After treatment, the outlook for your cat will depend on the severity of the disease and whether there is a secondary disease such as hyperthyroidism. In some cases, the cat will remain stable for years. Cats with a thromboembolic disease may not respond as well to treatment and thus may suffer.
Complications
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Complications of the treatment may include the cat experiencing paralysis in the lower back or rear limbs. If this is the case, the treatment may be causing the cat's blood to clot or may not be working.
Post-Diet
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After the cat is treated, changes need to be made to its diet. These changes include cutting out salty foods or treats or cutting back on food intake. Sodium should be avoided because the sodium retention will increase the volume of blood the heart needs to pump.
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