Posted on by jinj88

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy – A Silent Ambush Killer of Young Cats: A Warning and Words of Advice.

As some of you may know, we recently lost our sweet little 2 yo kitty named Toad. This heart-wrenching loss had my 10yo daughter in tears for weeks. She still draws pictures of him and talks about him like an old friend that she misses. Toad was a very social cat who loved my daughter, hung out in her room, and slept with her every night. One morning, Tony came downstairs and announced that Toad was no longer using his back legs. We rushed him to work, gave him all the pain medications, and determined his back legs would likely never work again and would start to die due to lack of blood flow – they were cold and hard and PAINFUL! This led to a very tearful euthanasia where I had to watch my daughter clutch his sedated (due to the level of pain he was in) body against her chest and sob into his soft fur. And then I gave the final injection.

While Toad probably would have never lived a long kitty life, we possibly could have kept him going much longer than we did had we known what was coming. Toad died of a young cat disease known as “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy” (HCM) where the heart muscle becomes TOO thick and, therefore very little blood is pumped each time and the increased turbulence increases the risk for clots. Toad’s presentation is the most common way to discover this disease in young cats – a fatal blood clot to the aorta at the point where it splits off into the hind legs. The clots can partially or fully block blood flow to the back legs. In Toad’s case, the legs were cold and hard, therefore, no blood was getting to them.

So, how can you prevent this tragedy from happening to your family?

  1. Have your new cat/kitten evaluated by a vet for a heart murmur. (Toad never had one, but it’s good to know anyway)
  2. Have your new feline check for a chemical that is released when the heart is stressed. It’s a test called proBNP.
  3. If 1 and 2 are normal, GREAT! Keep an eye on your kitty.
  4. If #1 is not normal, but #2 is normal, keep an eye on your kitty and watch for early signs of heart disease like when they’re completely asleep (and not twitching with a dream or something) count the number of times they breathe in a minute – it should be less than 30 breaths per minute. If it’s more, contact your vet.
  5. If #2 is not normal, think about having an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) or a work up at a cardiologist to determine what the next step is and whether your kitty needs to be on medication.

If you’re rescuing a cat from the shelter or from the streets, there’s not a lot you can do to prevent this condition other than making sure to feed it a commercial cat diet that’s balanced for cats and has the amino acids required to keep the heart healthy – but if genetics are in play, the diet won’t really change the outcome. If you’re purchasing a cat breed (specifically Ragdoll and Maine Coon), make sure you find out if the breed is predisposed to heart conditions and then grill the snot out of the breeder and make sure the parents and grandparents have been tested for heart conditions before purchasing. After this whole ordeal, we got his sister, Popcorn (pictured with him as a kitten) and she’s all okay with no signs of heart disease. Now, I’m trying to encourage people to avoid this horribly traumatic experience themselves by recommending testing for young cats.

After his death, I performed a necropsy to confirm my suspicions and give myself solace for putting him down (sometimes, even when you’re sure, you still doubt “Did I just kill my daughter’s cat for the wrong reason???”). Sure, enough, I found a very large clot wedged in the descending aorta along with branches of the clot going into both femoral arteries, effectively shutting off all blood supply to both legs. I also found his heart, which was greatly enlarged with the left ventricle (the one that makes the big pump to the whole body) grossly thickened to the point where almost no blood could be pumped each time. The only thing I can even remotely think of as far as symptoms that I missed was that he was a very active kitten and eventually got to be a sleepy/cuddly cat while his sister continued her tortuous reign on the outdoor small rodent population. I thought this was just his personality, but, looking back, he was probably tired all the time due to lack of oxygen/blood to his body.

***** Warning! Pictures of Toad’s necropsy (autopsy) to follow ******

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#grosspictures coming!

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STOP SCROLLING IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT

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Seriously! STOP! Blood! Gore!

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But it’s a REALLY good visual of how everything failed for poor Toad

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This is a picture of the clot sitting in the fork at the end of the descending aorta. It splits into right and left hind legs.
This is a cross section through the middle of the heart – see how little space there is to fill with blood to be pumped?

43 Replies to “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy – A Silent Ambush Killer of Young Cats: A Warning and Words of Advice.”

  1. I am so incredibly sorry to you, India, and the family about sweet Toad. But I can’t thank you enough for sharing the final 3 photos. You are an excellent teacher in that you break things down and make them understandable for the lay person, and while I was picturing the clot, actually seeing it hit differently. I really hope that this spurs people to take action to have their own kittens screened.

  2. If this had been discovered earlier in the disease progression, how would it be treated?

  4. Very interesting- and so sad😢
    Could not see necropsy photos in this post.
    Would like to visualize your findings.

    3. Just got pictures from necropsy.
      See that clot🥲 so sad- poor India- I know just how she feels🥲

  5. Wow! Good for you. It must’ve been so difficult to put down your little girl’s pet. I admire your work ethic and you!

  6. I’m so, so sorry for your family’s loss of Toad. Sadly it never gets easier.

    My 13+ year old cat has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Our vet suspected something was going on while listening to his heart during an annual exam so she strongly suggested we take him to a cardiologist and the subsequent echo confirmed it. He has been on atenolol for three years and he’s responding well. He gets an echo once a year to stay on top of any changes.

    I too would like to see the pictures. Knowledge is power!

  8. Thanks for the info! I was quite fascinated by the pictures as well! India has grown up so much!

  9. I was quite fascinated by the pictures as well! India has grown up so much!
    Thanks for the info!

  10. So sorry for your family’s loss. Thanks for the information- it could definitely help someone else.

  11. So sad to lose a pet and it was so young too. 😢 I never heard of this before so it’s new to me.
    My cat was 19 before she needed to be put down; I was shocked at the intensity of my loss.
    I hope your daughter’s pain eases with time. ❤️

  13. Oh my gosh. That poor kitty! Thank you so much for the information. Certainly is good to know and something I’d not heard of. That was a huge clot! (I used to be a surgical tech so I appreciated pictures.) Thinking of your daughter as she misses her best friend.

  14. I’m really sorry you all lost Toad and glad you were able to give him an easy transition over the rainbow bridge. He was well loved.

  15. Hoping the entire family begins to feel better about this soon. It’s a terrible thing, but we all face it when having fur babies in the house.

  16. I’m sorry for your loss. You’re an amazing person and vet. Your post was so thoughtful and thorough. The pictures are helpful to a layperson (me). I hope your daughter is doing well with her new fur baby.

  17. I’m so sorry to hear of Toad’s passing. My daughter and her family just lost their kitty, less than 3 months old, due to issues with fluid build up in Alexandria’s thorax. A child shouldn’t have to tell you their beloved kitty is in a better place. :`-(

    Again, I’m very sorry for your loss.

  18. So sorry, Dr. Emily. I vaguely recall a Dr. Pol episode where India, who was then maybe five, had a black-and-white plush kitty with her when she went to visit you at the clinic. (I mentally divide the show’s episodes into three eras: Before Dr. Emily, During Dr. Emily, and After Dr. Emily.)

    Keeping you and India in my thoughts. 🐱

  19. We recently adopted a 9 year old cat from the Humane Society. He is the sweetest orange tabby. I have been waiting 40 years to have a kitty like this. Because of some noisy breathing we had chest X-rays taken and discovered he has this. He was prescribed medication that we have not been able to get him to take no matter what trick we’ve tried. We have been told that this is what we can expect. We are devastated.

    1. Ask your vet about transdermal medications. You can order from compounding pharmacies online. They can put the medication, like clopidogrel, in a cream that you apply to the inside of their ear.

    2. I’m very sorry to hear this, Karen. I know there are “treat pouches” that can be used to administer meds to dogs, and I see Greenies offer pill pouches for cats, have you tried them?

    3. I have had success wrapping pills in Tomlyn pill paste, i still have to poke then down his throat but the paste makes the pills smooth and hides the taste.

  20. Thank you for bringing this up. We lost a cat who was the “cast iron kitty” to Cardiomyopathy 12/30/22 (age 15 but still, a cat who never had a bad day until he did, and died within two days), at which point I had his brother and sisters checked for it. We’ve initiated treatment for HCM for one, he also has developed chronic kidney failure which we’re managing with daily fluids. Echocardiogram was definitive and saved his life. Had we done annual bloodwork (especially as they got older) we might have caught it and saved the one who died as well.

  21. Since I had written this once already, I am going to try again! First, I’m so very sorry for all of you but, especially your daughter. Losing a much loved pet is so very hard. Even if you’re an adult. Back in April, I noticed my much loved Boston, Holly possibly had a kidney or bladder infection. I took her into the vet AND not only did she have an infection but, she had kidney disease and cancer, for the second time! I asked if there was anything we could do. But, regardless, I wanted her pain controlled. I’ve had kidney infections and they HURT! So, first thing is they put her on pain medication. They said we could try steroids and an antibiotic. They also gave me a medication that made her hungry! She did really well and was back to herself but then about a month and a half later, she wasn’t doing so well. So, I had to make that gut-wrenching decision that pet owners sometimes have to make. I was so mad at myself for making that decision. It wasn’t a choice. Just writing this now is breaking my heart. I had her cremated. She is here now, with me. But then, last week, her brother passed away while laying right next to me on my late husband’s birthday. I will probably never have another pet again. Both of them were so very special. I miss them both so so much!! I just can’t ever bring myself to ever love another pet to be hurt like that. I just can’t. Some might say that I’m selfish. That very well may be. Maybe I will change my mind but, I don’t think so. They were both my world. And now they’re gone. My heart really goes out to your daughter. Losing a pet is NOT EASY.

    1. I wanted to make an addition to my response,please? I just wanted to tell people that while this was going on with my pup, outside of you Emily, I have the best vets in the world!! I have been with this clinic for over 20 years. All 3 vets, Dr. Rita, Dr. Crestin and Dr. Shannon were all taking care of my little girl just like I would if I had the schooling,. They were kind, considerate and caring. They went above and beyond for my baby and I. I realize that having to put an animal to sleep is not the best part of a vets job. I still have a hard time. It brings me to tears, every day. This is why I will never, as much as I’d love to have another petite, goofy, sweet, smart and kind little female have another. Because here comes the tears again. It’s just too hard. My heart hurts so bad that although I had thought about adopting another. It feels as if it would be wrong. You are an awesome vet, Emily!! You are smart and talented, dear girl!! I remember that pot bellied pig you treated for lockjaw. You were amazing and you stuck at it, until he was better! You are a great vet, Emily! That was a tough case. But you brought that little guy through. Hang in there, Emily!! And take it easy, when you can!

  23. Thanks for the info. I would like to mention that none of the pictures/photos included in the email open for display. Am I doing something wrong or do I need to be opening the email in some type of browser. This started happening about six-seven months ago.

    Thank you

  24. Hugs to your daughter and thoughts to you and your family. Having just put down our elderly dog I appreciate the toll it takes on the vet who needs to perform that last act of compassion.

  25. So so sorry India has already endured life’s hardest experience at such a young age. A parent can give solace and soothing words but the hole in her heart will remain until time heals it. What a heartbreaking situation for you as a parent and a vet. I hope your heart will also find comfort in the days to come.

  26. So sorry for India in the loss of her cat. When I was about seven years old my family moved to an apartment where we could not have pets. I had to give my cat away. During a visit I was told my cat had been poisoned, as well as her kittens. I was devasted. It was so gut wrenching to me. I know India will do well with Toad’s sister. Very sad.

  27. Thank you for the information. It is always good to know more about our furr babies.

  28. I am so sorry for your family’s loss. It’s one of the hardest things to deal with in my opinion.

    Thank you for the education information.

    God Bless!

  29. So sorry for your loss. Poor India….. bless her. So hard to lose a fur baby.

  30. So sad for your loss. India is your mini me! Her beloved Toad will be waiting in Heaven at the rainbow bridge . It’s so hard to lose a beloved fur baby.

  31. I have that exact heart condition and it’s possible it’s hereditary. Had no idea it could affect animals. I’m so sorry about you r loss.

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