Cat Dilated, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

A literal translation of the term cardiomyopathy is ‘disease of the heart muscle’ and this is exactly what the medical condition is characterized by.



Cardiomyopathy is essentially a condition where the medical staff is unable to identify the root cause of the complication. When affected by cat cardiomyopathy, the pumping ability of the heart is severely diminished, thereby causing a number of medical complications within the cat’s body.



Some of the more prominent symptoms of the condition include a distinct inability to exercise because of the lack of blood flow, heightened fatigue, fainting as well as the collection of fluid in the lungs. The feline species is affected by three types of cardiomyopathy.



The first one is known as dilated cardiomyopathy and is characterized by a weak and flaccid heart muscle that is defined by the decrease in the forward flow of blood as a result of the reduced functionality of the systolic phase of the heart muscle. In cat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, there is a thickening of the lower heart muscle chambers that tends to obstruct the flow of blood from the heart into the circulation. This version of the condition results in the backing up of the pressure into the lung and will usually show symptoms of respiratory distress such as coughing and the development of blood clots in the cats system. The third version of this cat heart problem is considered to be unclassified and is associated more often with the severely enlarged upper chamber along with diminished pumping ability.

The cat heart disease ‘cardiomyopathy’ is a very serious and fatal condition, if not treated fast and effectively. As a result, it is essential that you make it a point to visit your veterinarian and get an opinion as well as prescription to help control the condition. Cardiomyopathy cannot be treated with simple home remedies and would require the administration of some sort of medication to treat effectively. Some amount of special attention also needs to be given to your cat’s lifestyle and providing it with a warm room that is not too humid will help substantially. The cat’s disease is another very important aspect of treatment of the condition and high taurine foods are considered to be the best source of nutrition. This is primarily because of the fact that taurine is an important element in order to boost heart function as well as digestion and vision.