Specialist vets in West Lothian have treated a young cat’s broken heart in time for Valentine’s Day.
Spencer, a three-year-old British Blue short-haired cat, was referred to the expert team at Vet Specialists Scotland (VSS), in Livingston, suffering from breathing problems, lethargy and a poor appetite.
Dr Nicki Reed, an internal medicine specialist at VSS, which is owned by Linnaeus and was recently awarded gold status as an ISFM cat friendly clinic, initially saw Spencer.
She identified a heart murmur on examination of Spencer, and a blood test also supported that the breathing problems were due to heart disease.
Spencer was treated with intravenous diuretic initially and then tablets to decrease the fluid in the lungs.
He was also started on anti-coagulation tablets to prevent clot formation, which often occurs in cats with cardiomyopathy if the heart chambers dilate.
Cardiology specialist Dr Anne French subsequently performed an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart), which confirmed a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – the cause of the heart failure and resulting fluid accumulation in Spencer’s lungs.
The echocardiogram also showed the walls of the heart were thickened and that one of the heart chambers, the left atrium, was dilated.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cardiac disease in cats.
It can be inherited in some breeds of cat or can be caused by high blood pressure or thyroid gland disease.
Dr French, who recently joined VSS and helped to launch the centre’s cardiology service last month, added: “Spencer is very young to develop congestive heart failure and this is a concern for his long-term prognosis.
“He showed no evidence of high blood pressure or thyroid disease and it was presumed to be either hereditary or idiopathic.
“Happily, he responded well to medication and within a week was breathing normally and back to his normal self.
“However, he will have to remain on life-long cardiac medication and be monitored carefully for progression of the disease.
“This involves a combination of checks by the owner, the primary care vet and the specialist vet.”
Spencer’s relieved owner Paul Tomlinson was full of praise for the team at VSS and their treatment of his precious pet.
Paul said: “We were very concerned when Spencer suddenly took ill. He was certainly not himself.
“He had stopped eating and his breathing was noticeably laboured.
“It was a shock to be told he had a heart problem but at least we now know what that problem is and that his ongoing medication will help to control it.
“I’m very grateful to Nicki and Anne and the whole VSS team for the excellent care and treatment that Spencer received.”
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