Cardiomyopathies are common in cats, but flow murmurs are also common and not all cats with a cardiomyopathy will have a murmur. Heart disease may therefore go undiagnosed until a cat presents as an emergency, typically with congestive heart failure, an arterial thromboembolism, or possibly a haemodynamically significant arrhythmia. Dyspnoeic cats are often highly unstable and require careful management; this webinar will focus on a practical approach to diagnosis and management that aims to minimise patient stress to optimise outcomes.
The learning outcomes are:
1. To describe the methods available for differentiation of cardiac from non-cardiac causes of respiratory distress in cats
2. To explain the importance of minimising stress in unstable feline cardiac patients and explain how this can be achieved
3. To outline the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to congestive heart failure and arterial thromboembolism
4. To list treatment options for arrhythmias commonly seen in cats
Recorded 17 June 2025
Speaker:
Melanie Hezzell
Melanie Hezzell, MA VetMB PhD CertVDI CertVC FHEA MRCVS DipACVIM (Cardiology)
