“Heart disease is the most important organ of many animals. The heart is beating constantly every moment, and if there is a problem with the heart, life will be threatened. Its causes are also varied! For example, toxic diseases, heart valve diseases, infectious diseases, etc. can be its causes! Cats with heart disease may present with several conditions: changes in the frequency and intensity of heart sounds, difficulty breathing, etc. Heart disease in cats has always been a headache for clinical veterinarians, not only because it is difficult to diagnose, but also because of its high mortality rate and the lack of obvious early clinical signs that make it difficult for clinical veterinarians. The causes of heart disease are complex and can be broadly divided into two categories: congenital and acquired. Congenital heart disease is less common clinically, the disease is mostly caused by genetic factors or various causes of abnormal heart development during pregnancy, depending on the location of the defect and the degree of defect, the time of clinical symptoms also varies. Acquired heart disease has a wide range and is commonly caused by various causes of heart failure: heart failure due to defects or degeneration of the heart valves, dilated cardiomyopathy, bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, etc. Symptoms in ordinary life if the cat appears often cough, pupils no longer small, cold limbs, anorexia, depression, swollen stomach, the presence of fluid in the abdomen there is a high probability that the cat has a heart disease. Treatment 1. Pharmacotherapy Cats should stay indoors. Drugs for treating cat heart disease can be divided into diuretics (to increase fluid excretion), nitroglycerin (to act directly on the heart muscles to relieve the pressure on the heart and improve the contraction strength of the heart), and vasodilators (to help the circulation of blood vessels and effectively increase the contraction of blood to the heart). 2. Dietary therapy Cats during the disease period should eat low salt and low sodium food, and it is recommended to drink plain water. In case of overweight cats, they should consume low-calorie formula cat food, as the extra weight has put an extra burden on their body. Note that since we have a cat it is our family, even if it has an incurable disease, we must do our best to make it a good cat life.
