large heart normal?

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Yngver - 03 Nov 2003 22:09 GMT

Hi, our cat had a chest x-ray three months ago that showed everything normal
but the vet said her heart looked mildly enlarged. He advised just rechecking
in three months, since she had had iv fluids that day during a dental cleaning.
We just had her recheck x-ray and he said her heart looks the same. He said
there is no sign of heart disease and since she acts normally (active, no
panting after exercise, eating normally, etc.) he said he thinks that although
her heart is larger than normal, it could just be normal for her. He said the
size of the heart is within the range of normal sizes and is not abnormally
shaped.

I asked about an ultrasound to be sure, and he said he doesn't think it's
necessary but will arrange for one if we want the reassurance. I think we
probably will have the ultrasound, but my question at this point is whether
anyone else has had a cat whose heart was large but it didn't turn out to be
any sort of health problem? Our cat, btw, is six years old, normal weight, and
has always been more active than our other cats.

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m. L. Briggs - 03 Nov 2003 22:43 GMT

>Hi, our cat had a chest x-ray three months ago that showed everything normal
>but the vet said her heart looked mildly enlarged. He advised just rechecking
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>any sort of health problem? Our cat, btw, is six years old, normal weight, and
>has always been more active than our other cats.

I have heard that well trained athletes have larger hearts -- also
slower beats. Anybody able to confirm this?

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Mary - 04 Nov 2003 05:42 GMT

> I have heard that well trained athletes have larger hearts -- also
> slower beats. Anybody able to confirm this?

Since the heart is a muscle, yes, this is true. You can cause your own
heart to slow down by doing regular cardio-vascular exercise.

However--an enlarged heart usually means that the heart is having
to work too hard. In humans, it can cause complications. I have heard
of
very fat people and also people with valve problems developing
enlarged
hearts. My sense of it at the time is that it is not a good thing.

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Yngver - 04 Nov 2003 18:37 GMT

>> I have heard that well trained athletes have larger hearts -- also
>> slower beats. Anybody able to confirm this?
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>enlarged
>hearts. My sense of it at the time is that it is not a good thing.

Thanks. I had read that athletic dogs can have larger than usual hearts, but
they are still healthy. I don't know if cats are ever as athletic as those
types of dogs, however.

What is confusing me is whether a large heart is the same thing as an enlarged
heart. I tend to sort of hear the worst when the vet tells us something, but my
husband pointed out that what our vet actually said is that our cat's heart is
larger than usual, but still within the normal range. I don't know whether that
consitutes an enlarged heart or not.

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Meghan Noecker - 04 Nov 2003 05:05 GMT

>Hi, our cat had a chest x-ray three months ago that showed everything normal
>but the vet said her heart looked mildly enlarged. He advised just rechecking
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>size of the heart is within the range of normal sizes and is not abnormally
>shaped.

I have a dog with an alarged heart. There are two kinds. One is just
larger in size than normal for their body size. Stays the same
throughout life. The other is whern there is a physical poblem causing
it to get larger over time.

I got my dog when she was 4 years old and underweight. I learned about
her enlarged heart when she was 5 and a bit plump. She was on the
couch, and I pulled her toward me by holding her sides. She yelped,
which seems very odd for the light sqeezing I had done. I knew she had
been kicked by her previous owner, so I wondered if there was an old
rib injury. I took her to the vet for an x-ray. He said he heart was a
bit larger than normal for such a small dog, and it had become obvious
because she was overweight. With the heart being large, and the fat
taking up space, it meant she had no room inside when squeezed, so it
did hurt.

The vet had several things to say.One, he recommended coming back in
6 months to see if it got any larger. If not, then there was probably
no underlying problem. He said I could get an ultrasound, but that it
was expensive and unnecesary unless the new x-ray showed a change.

He also advised against over activity. In the case of my dog, it is
very obvious that her windpipe is being pressed upon by her heart. He
was able to show this to me in the x-ray, plain as day. So, because of
this, if she gets too active, then her heart could actually close off
her windpipe and cause her to stop breathing. So, I was told that she
must take breaks every 10 minutes when exercising. So, no agility for
her, and long walks require lots of breaks or a stroller (we get a lot
of funny looks). And also to keep her weight down.

I can always tell when she is gaining weight, because she will start
coughing more, usually at night, which is a classic sign of heart
problems. It pushes on her windpipe, so she coughs.

I was where you are now. Scared by the diagnosis and dying to know
more to calm myself down. I started searching online at vet websites.
I even went to the local univeristy and looked through books on heart
issues, and I finally spent $100 and ordered the book "Small Animal
cardiovascular Medicine" by Mark Kittleson and Richard Kienle. It is
an awesome book, and though intended for vet students, it really
helped calm my fears. I was able to read about the diagnosis,
treatment, and prognosis. The main examples in the book are dogs and
cats. And I felt a lot better learning that the prognosis is good.
Smaller animals can have an enlarged heart all their lives with no
problems as long as their weight is maintained well.

With my dog, I changed her diet. She is an easy keeper. She gains
weight on air, and gets less food than our other shelties. So, I cut
some of her kibble and replaced it with french cut green beans (no
salt added). This cut her calories and provided filler so she feels
like she got a meal, and doesn't finish before the other dogs and
fixate on their food.

It's been 5 years, and she barely coughs. If I hear it start up, I
work on her diet and exercise. Other than that, no real problems.
Sometimes, she plays really hard and gets out of breath. I will stop
her and make her wait until her breathing is okay before letting her
resume.

I suspect that your own situation is similar to mine. Just a little
larger than normal for her size, and no underlying health problem.
Just keep her weight good, and be aware if a cough develops, or she
gets out of breath.

Meghan & the Zoo Crew
Equine and Pet Photography
http://www.zoocrewphoto.com

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Yngver - 04 Nov 2003 18:47 GMT

>I have a dog with an alarged heart. There are two kinds. One is just
>larger in size than normal for their body size. Stays the same
[quoted text clipped - 59 lines]
>Just keep her weight good, and be aware if a cough develops, or she
>gets out of breath.

Thanks so much for your response. Yes, that's exactly where I am right now with
this. Our vet did say that we should do another x-ray in six months to make
sure her heart is not getting any bigger, but it has stayed the same size since
the last x-ray three months ago. He also said to watch for things like coughing
and panting.

Like your vet, he said he didn't think an ultrasound was warranted but of
course he will arrange for it if we really want it. Our cat has no adverse
symptoms--she's not overweight and plays plenty hard without becoming out of
breath. Sometimes I put my hand under her chest to feel her hearbeat after
she's been very active, and although I can feel it pounding, it seems to return
to normal very quickly, just the same as our younger (age 2) cat.

Thank you for mentioning the book--I am thinking of ordering it. I also think
we may have the ultrasound anyway--I assume it would tell for sure whether our
cat's heart functions normally and the size is nothing to worry about.

I'm glad to learn that keeping the weight down can prevent any future problems,
because weight has never been a problem with this cat. She is the only one of
our three cats that can free feed, because she is active enough that she stays
normal weight.

Thanks again and best of luck with your dog. This does help allay some of my
fears.

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Animal luva - 05 Nov 2003 00:50 GMT

> Hi, our cat had a chest x-ray three months ago that showed everything
> normal but the vet said her heart looked mildly enlarged. He advised
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> of the heart is within the range of normal sizes and is not
> abnormally shaped.

Several years ago our cat was initially diagnosed with having a heart murmur
and we allowed him to go through the trauma of x-ray which we could ill
afford financially. What we didn't know was that the x-ray, although clearly
showing an enlarged heart, was inconclusive and further traumatic expensive
investigation was necessary to better understand his condition. We had to
decline the opportunity. I can't deny that money was a factor but these
tests carry their own life-threatening risks even for healthy cats. The best
prognosis the vet could give was long life or sudden, massive heart attack.

> I asked about an ultrasound to be sure, and he said he doesn't think
> it's necessary but will arrange for one if we want the reassurance. I
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> six years old, normal weight, and has always been more active than
> our other cats.

Spot (13yrs) is still with us and his heart hasn't been a concern until very
recently (see thread Re: Spot is still with us and needs feeding).
Barring his current status, I think I can say on behalf of Spot, "no
sweat!".

Best wishes,
AL.

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Yngver - 05 Nov 2003 17:17 GMT

>Several years ago our cat was initially diagnosed with having a heart murmur
>and we allowed him to go through the trauma of x-ray which we could ill
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>tests carry their own life-threatening risks even for healthy cats. The best
>prognosis the vet could give was long life or sudden, massive heart attack.

(I snipped my original post here)

>Spot (13yrs) is still with us and his heart hasn't been a concern until very
>recently (see thread Re: Spot is still with us and needs feeding).
>Barring his current status, I think I can say on behalf of Spot, "no
>sweat!".

Thanks for your reply. I have not been following the thread about Spot, but I
am sorry to learn of his current problems.

Yes, you are right, only the ultrasound (echocardiogram) can tell for sure if
there is a heart problem. It is expensive ($300 vs. $78 for the chest x-ray)
but my husband is reasoning that it may make more sense to invest the $300 now
rather than keep having chest x-rays every six months to make sure the heart
isn't getting any bigger, and all the time wondering whether she might have
cardiomyopathy. I'm not sure how the x-rays were performed on your cat but
since our vet doesn't use sedation for x-rays or ultrasound, the procedures
don't appear to be traumatic or life threatening. I agree, if we were talking
about some kind of invasive procedure I wouldn't subject her to something only
for our own peace of mind, since our vet doesn't think there is a problem.

Good luck to you and Spot.

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Animal luva - 05 Nov 2003 21:10 GMT

<snip>

>> Spot (13yrs) is still with us and his heart hasn't been a concern
>> until very recently (see thread Re: Spot is still with us and needs
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Thanks for your reply. I have not been following the thread about
> Spot, but I am sorry to learn of his current problems.

We've been told he has advanced cancer. One month on and we've also been
told his heart murmur has got worse although it hardly matters now.

> Yes, you are right, only the ultrasound (echocardiogram) can tell for
> sure if there is a heart problem. It is expensive ($300 vs. $78 for
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> to something only for our own peace of mind, since our vet doesn't
> think there is a problem.

My vet did mention that Britain "used" to the be the center of excellence
for animal medicine.
I was advised that sedation is necessary to "stop the patient moving".
Incidentally, in our case, the vet didn't advise regular x-ray check-ups as
an alternative. Instead she prescribed cardiovet.
Hmm let me think, multiple doses of x-rays compared to one session of
sound - no contest, surely?
Besides, you only get 3.8 x-rays for $300, already.
Just my tuppence-worth. :-)

> Good luck to you and Spot.

And best wishes to you and your kitty.
Regards,
AL

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Yngver - 05 Nov 2003 21:27 GMT

>We've been told he has advanced cancer. One month on and we've also been
>told his heart murmur has got worse although it hardly matters now.

I'm so sorry to hear that. I wish you and Spot the best--I guess in a case like
this the best you can wish is that he enjoys what time remains to him and goes
peacefully.

>> Yes, you are right, only the ultrasound (echocardiogram) can tell for
>> sure if there is a heart problem. It is expensive ($300 vs. $78 for
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>for animal medicine.
>I was advised that sedation is necessary to "stop the patient moving".

Here, as far as I understand, sedation would only be necessary with a very
fractious cat. Our cat is timid enough at the vet's that she will just lie
there when they hold her in place for the x-ray, and I presume she will do the
same for the ultrasound. Our other cat did move around for her last x-ray--she
doesn't like being restrained--but all they did was wait until she stopped and
then shot the film.

>Incidentally, in our case, the vet didn't advise regular x-ray check-ups as
>an alternative. Instead she prescribed cardiovet.

I don't know what would be the equivalent in the U.S. Yes, our vet suggested
periodic recheck x-rays to make sure our cat's heart was staying the same size.
But it seems to me that once it started to get bigger, if it does, that would
indicate cardiomyopathy and it's always better to catch and treat that in the
early stages before there are any symptoms.

>Hmm let me think, multiple doses of x-rays compared to one session of
>sound - no contest, surely?
>Besides, you only get 3.8 x-rays for $300, already.
>Just my tuppence-worth. :-)

Well, for me it's also worth some amount of money to be able to stop
worrying--presuming the ultrasound shows a normal heart.

>> Good luck to you and Spot.
>
>And best wishes to you and your kitty.
>Regards,
>AL

Thank you.

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