I have an 8 week old kitten who has been diagnosed as having a haert murmur. Is this as serious as it sounds?

Question

Vet said she thinks it a physiological murmur. Any idea what that means? Is my pets future doomed? I rescued this little kitten when I found it abandoned and now my heart is breaking with worry. Anyone out there had a kitten with a heart murmur who can offer advise? Thank You

Answer 1

It depends on the level of the heart murmur. If the heart murmur is a grade / level 3 or lower than you can if you care for your cat properly have several years with your cat. The lower the grade or level is that your cat has the better chances that your cat could eventually grow out of it. There are some medicans out there that will help with some levels and grades of heart murmers. A heart murmur that is a grade or level 3 or less will cut your cat's life expectency in half but if you think of it as cat's can live 10 to 15 years if you take good care of them than your cat could live 5 to 8 years if you take good care of the kitten. You need to put it on a helthy diet and make sure that it has a healthy life style. All a heart murmur is an eragular beet of the heart and in some cases it is a heart that will on a constent bases will skip a beet. Care for the kitten because even a short life is better than no life at all!

Answer 2

Many puppies and kittens have murmurs. If the vet thinks it is an "innocent" murmur, it will probably clear on it's own. Most do. If it persists beyond the age of 6 months or so, you can get it seen by a cardiologist and have an echo/doppler done to see the reason WHY there is a murmur. The diagnosis and prognosis will depend on what they find. Most pet animals can live fine with a low grade murmur, but should never be allowed to reproduce. A high grade murmur may shorten the lifespan of the animal.

Many kids are born with murmurs that go away on their own. Frequently there is a valve that has not closed yet. Get more info from your vet, or see a cardiologist!!!!!!!
Chances are the kitty will never be affected by it.

Answer 3

Milo, my 11 year old cat, has had a heart murmur and upper respiratory problems since he was born. Except for being a bit on the skinny side, he has always been super healthy, happy, and playful. We still call him Kitten from time to time.

Except for when he needed surgery, it has never been a problem, and even then it wasn't much of a problem ... just telling the vet over and over again that I didn't want the extra tests before surgery.

When cats need anesthesia, the vet will want to run a bunch of expensive tests first to determine whether or not your cat has a heart murmur. Since you already know it has one, do not okay the additional tests.

If your new kitty seems happy and healthy, I wouldn't worry about it. Just love it and have fun! And, be sure to keep up on its vaccines, and spay/neuter at about 6 months.

Answer 4

Relax breath, it is not as bad as it sounds.

It does put your kitten at higher risks for heart problems. Sometimes cats with murmurs can be less active but have normal lives. A heart murmur may predispose your cat to heart conditions as it get older. But don't worry about them know, you can keep track of the murmur with regular annual exams. Sometimes heart murmurs can heal as kittens grow and they may not cause any problems at all. So don't worry about it now. Just remember that it is there f any other symptoms occur in your cats future let the vet know.

Answer 5

Yes, I chose Harry at Battersea four years ago having lost a senior male under anaesthesia(don't ever do it) and the Vet told me he had a heart murmur and would have had it from a kitten. Harry knows himself, he paces himself, not too much of anything and a quiet life. He is now 14 and very fit and loving and I make sure he has a good diet. The best for cats. If you can get your cat onto raw meat it will help. Richard Bleckman of Roehampton Veterinary Clinic knows all about these cats and the best diet and has a web page. I think they know they are a little different and like a one to one relationship. Best of luck

Answer 6

My kitty had a heart murmur for a long time. Have you had an ultrasound done? That will tell you the extent of the murmur. The vet will probably give you medication. I worked great for my kitty. In fact, "fixed" it so well that the vet told me after 2 months that he could barely hear it!

Take your baby back to the vet. Make a list of all your questions and ask him. Check into the ultrasound. They are expensive, but well worth it!

Give kitty a kiss for me!

Answer 7

Well... My dog died of a heart attack last winter. It was either caused/aggravated by his heart murmur. But he was like 8 years old so I don't think it will be very serious for a kitten, especially a young one. Ask your vet about what to do; I think the kitten is young enough that it can be corrected.

Answer 8

Heart murmurs vary in severity im sure if the vet had any doubts he/she would have said so. Many people have heart murmurs and don't even know they have one and it does not affect their lives at all so im sure there is nothing to worry about.

Answer 9

I have two cats and one is hyperthyroid so she had to get pills every day which really isn't a problem once you learn how to administer them.

I don't know about a heart murmur in a cat, but my mother has had a heart murmur all her life and she's fine at 76 years old.

Answer 10

dont give up on your kitten it will out grow the murmur and live to a long life and be happy you found the kitten to take care of and to love just keep the kitten and keep the appts the keep an eye on the kitten