Is a disease which is found in many cat breeds including Sphynx, it is a disease of the heart muscle. (Cardio – heart, myopathy – muscle)

The cat’s heart is a muscular pump with four separate chambers. The right side of the heart sends blood to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. The left side receives blood from the lungs and pumps it around the rest of the body. HCM  cause the  heart muscle  to thicken which  impairs  it’s flexibility, causing the heart to work faster which in turn leads to the enlargement of the heart chambers and fluid round the heart.  HCM can be diagnosed by ultrasound scanning. There is currently no genetic test for HCM specifically for Sphynx, and until genetics in cats is fully understood it will be almost impossible to eliminate the disease.  Research continues into the cause. There are very rarely any visible sign until the disease is advanced. 

In many cases until the cat develops signs of acute heart failure, which includes rapid, shallow breathing, open mouth breathing, vomiting & weakness. Blood clots may develop in the heart and travel down the aorta to block the circulation to the hind legs, causing pain and weakness.

Diagnosis

Physical Exam – Irregular heart rhythm, or unusually fast indicates a need for investigation.

Radiography  – Chest  X-rays of symptomatic cats that may appear normal or have a mild enlargement of the heart. Cats with clinical signs of HCM there maybe a greater enlargement of the heart as well as fluid build up  in the lungs and chest cavity.

Echocardiography  – This is the diagnostic tool which is best suited to monitor HCM.  It is a painless procedure using sound waves to give  a 3-dimensional picture of the heart in motion. A valuation of the thickness of the heart walls and the strength of each contraction of the heart muscle. The heart valves can be evaluated and look for evidence of blood clot formation within the heart chambers that could lead in circulation blockage.

Treatment – The decision of whether and how to treat a cat with HCM depends on the cat’s clinical signs and the results of a complete diagnostic  test. Very early or mild cases may not require treatment, just close monitoring. More serve cases and pronounced changes in the heart will need medical intervention. Such as Beta-adrenergic receptor blockers etc…….

The best advice and the way forward is to not to breed from known HCM positive cats  and to test existing progeny on a yearly basics. 

F.A.B Registered Veterinary. uk/Belgium