Cardiomyopathy, Feline - contd.

ClinicalSigns
Common clinical signs include tachypnea, panting associated with any activity, dyspnea, coughing, anorexia, vomiting, weight loss and lethargy. Some cats will develop hind leg paralysis, loss of femoral pulses, and cool limbs due to thromboembolism. Syncope or sudden death may also occur. Often, a heart murmur, gallop rhythm, or abnormal lung sounds are detected on auscultation of the heart. The cat may have experienced recent stresses such as anesthesia, surgery, boarding, or car rides that caused it to develop heart failure.

Symptoms
Common symptoms include rapid breathing, panting from activities that are not normally stressful, difficulty breathing, coughing, loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss and listlessness. Some cats may be paralyzed in their hind limbs due to a blood clot that forms in the heart and lodges at the branch of the blood stream that supplies the back legs. Some cats can have fainting spells or may die suddenly. Often, a heart murmur, abnormal heart rhythms, or abnormal lung sounds may be detected when the veterinarian listens to the cat's chest with a stethoscope. The cat may have experienced recent stresses such as anesthesia, surgery, boarding, or car rides that caused it to develop heart failure.