Cat heart disease is a potentially fatal disease effecting cats of any gender, age, and breed. Heart disease takes time to develop, but most of the time symptoms are not apparent until the disease has progressed. Heart disease in cats causes symptoms like weakness, lack of interest, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Other warning signs of heart disease are difficulty breathing and a low-pitch cough.
When heart disease starts to produce a fluid buildup in the lungs and abdomen you may notice your cat has a distended belly. This is another sign of feline heart disease.
Although these symptoms may be present there are other ailments and conditions with similar symptoms that may be mistaken for heart disease. To determine if your cat is suffering from heart disease, contact your veterinarian. The sooner the condition is diagnosed and treatment is administered, the better the scenario will be for your pet.
Paralysis of the hind legs is caused by formation of blood clots in the heart which start to descend to the hind legs.
Veterinarian perscribed treatment for cat heart disease includes medication to improve the function of the heart, and medication to remove fluid from the lungs. The veterinarian may choose to manually drain the fluid in the chest and abdomen.