Blood Clots and Aneurysms in Cats

A thrombus is a blood clot that may form when the blood flow of an artery or vein is restricted, when the lining of a blood vessel is damaged, or when another condition causes a cat to produce clots excessively. It can cause a partial or full obstruction to blood vessels at its site of origin. Blood clots can also form in the heart, especially in cats with enlargement of the left atrium. All or part of a clot may break off and be carried through t

Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal, but preventable, infection caused by a worm parasite, Dirofilaria immitis. The organism is transmitted by mosquitoes, which carry the heartworm larvae (called microfilariae) from an infected animal host to a new animal host. Once the larvae arrive in a new host, they grow into adult worms in several months and live in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs. In advanced infection

Cats can develop many different cardiovascular diseases. The ones discussed below are the most common.   Degenerative Valve Disease This acquired disease is characterized by a thickening of the heart valves. Degenerative valves do not close properly and allow blood to flow backwards through the heart. The mitral valve is most commonly affected. This allows blood to return from the

Heart failure is not a specific disease or diagnosis. It is a syndrome in which severe dysfunction results in failure of the cardiovascular system to maintain adequate blood circulation. There are limited and specific mechanisms by which heart disease can bring on failure of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, there are limited and specific signs that can develop as a result of heart failure.   Types of Heart Failure

Congenital abnormalities of the cardiovascular system are defects that are present at birth. They can occur as a result of genetic defects, environmental conditions, infections, poisoning, medication taken by the mother, or poor maternal nutrition. In some cases, it is a combination of these factors that causes the defect. For several defects, an inherited basis is suspected. In cats, the frequency of congenital heart disease has been estimated t

Treatment of cardiovascular disease should be specific for the type of disease. Some defects can be repaired or corrected with surgery, while other conditions can be managed with medical therapy using one or a combination of drugs. In general, the goals of treatment are to minimize damage to the heart muscle, control the accumulation of fluids in and around the lungs, improve circulation, regulate the heart rate and rhythm, ensure that there is enough oxygen in the blood, and min

A veterinarian often diagnoses cardiovascular disease by reviewing the medical history and signs, conducting a physical examination, and interpreting the results of specific tests or imaging procedures. The physical examination includes using a stethoscope to listen to the heart and lungs. A veterinarian may hear an abnormal heart rate (for example, a rate that is too slow, fast, or irregular), an abnormal breathing rate (fast or labored breathing), additional heart sounds (calle

Slightly more than 10% of the animals examined by a veterinarian have some form of cardiovascular disease. Similar to longterm diseases of many other organ systems, cardiovascular diseases generally do not go away but can become more serious and may lead to death. In addition, cardiovascular diseases may be more difficult to detect and quantify because the heart cannot be seen and is protected so well by the rib cage. Heart disease can be

The cardiovascular system includes the heart and the blood vessels (the veins and the arteries). The function of the heart is to pump blood. The right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs, where oxygen is added to the blood. The left side pumps blood to the rest of the body, where oxygen and nutrients are delivered to tissues, and waste products (such as carbon dioxide) are removed. The heart is a hollow, muscular organ which, in mammals and birds, is divided into 4 chamber