A Visit to the Kitty Cardiologist
May. 15th, 2007 02:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deirdreWell, got to see Scruffy's echocardiogram today. Unlike humans, where they put you in with sonograph technician, when kitties get echocardiograms, they get an actual cardiologist right there in person.
I think it was scarring around his right atrial valve, which normally shows a thin white corona lining, which the cardiologist said is usually one cell thick. His was thicker and had nodules, which meant that sometimes blood didn't flow correctly through there, thus leading to the irregular heartbeat.
I didn't ask about the source of the scar tissue, but in humans, infections (such as coxsackie virus) are common causes.
He has flow problems as the first pump is supposed to be larger than the second -- and it's not (it's about half the volume of the second). I saw the doppler view of his heart flow, but I didn't understand what I was looking at.
That said, this sort of heart thing isn't uncommon in cats his age, and the cardiologist said that he didn't recommend certain forms of anaesthesia in older cats (and gave the vet the specific list, none of which seemed to be a surprise to her).
Unfortunately, restrictive cardiomyopathy can lead to congestive heart failure, but it seems that Scruffy has been stable for some time, so the cardiologist didn't think that terribly likely. On the other hand, he suggested we get him seen more often than we have been.
One thing the vet warned me about: if it seems like he is uncomfortable lying on his side, that's a sign of congestive heart failure, because the kitty is trying to get maximum air in through the lungs.
I think it was scarring around his right atrial valve, which normally shows a thin white corona lining, which the cardiologist said is usually one cell thick. His was thicker and had nodules, which meant that sometimes blood didn't flow correctly through there, thus leading to the irregular heartbeat.
I didn't ask about the source of the scar tissue, but in humans, infections (such as coxsackie virus) are common causes.
He has flow problems as the first pump is supposed to be larger than the second -- and it's not (it's about half the volume of the second). I saw the doppler view of his heart flow, but I didn't understand what I was looking at.
That said, this sort of heart thing isn't uncommon in cats his age, and the cardiologist said that he didn't recommend certain forms of anaesthesia in older cats (and gave the vet the specific list, none of which seemed to be a surprise to her).
Unfortunately, restrictive cardiomyopathy can lead to congestive heart failure, but it seems that Scruffy has been stable for some time, so the cardiologist didn't think that terribly likely. On the other hand, he suggested we get him seen more often than we have been.
One thing the vet warned me about: if it seems like he is uncomfortable lying on his side, that's a sign of congestive heart failure, because the kitty is trying to get maximum air in through the lungs.