Heart Murmur In Cats Grade 2
Other conditions with associated murmurs are systemic hypertension which is.
Heart murmur in cats grade 2. According to Claws and Paws Veterinary Hospital a veterinarian listening to a cats chest with her stethoscope can barely hear the grade 1 murmur but clearly makes out the grade 2. Grade 2 occurs mostly in specific areas of the heart and is pretty faint. Sometimes though cats with heart murmurs or heart disease may not exhibit any symptoms.
1 If murmur grade varies as it often does in cats the term dynamic is used and the grade is given as a range. A new onset of heart murmur in adult cats should be evaluated. When they detect a heart murmur vets must rely on diagnostic testing to find out why the heart murmur.
A heart murmur is caused by turbulent blood flow within the heart or the large vessels exiting from the heart. Cats Protection will only refer a cat to a specialist if classed as grade 5 or 6. A heart murmur is an unusual sound that can be heard with a stethoscope when listening to a cats heartbeat.
A grade 1 murmur is barely audible a grade 2 murmur is louder and a grade 3 murmur is loud but not accompanied by a thrill. If the heart murmur is severe enough to cause heart disease such as congestive heart failure then signs such as coughing difficulty breathing rapid breathing or even collapse may be seen. The vet is suggesting that it is a very uncommon condition but I have heard that sometimes they can be caused by real problems eg congenital defect or just because the kitten is stressed going to the vets and the vet is hearing turbulence in the blood going through the heart as the heart is so small.
A grade 3 murmur is generally not too serious but it is likely to worsen with time grade 6 is the most severe. On the other hand Grades 56 indicate that the heart murmur in cats is extremely loud and intense. Heart murmurs A heart murmur means that in addition to normal lub-dub heart sounds the vet can also hear extra sounds when listening with a stethoscope.
In some instances the louder the murmur the more significant the abnormality within the heart. Grades 12 are considered low in loudness and intensity. What is a grade 2 heart murmur in cats.