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Research article2015Peer reviewed

Congenital heart defects in cats: a retrospective study of 162 cats (1996-2013)

Tidholm, Anna; Ljungvall, Ingrid; Michal, Jenny; Häggström, Jens; Höglund, Katja

Abstract

Objective: To study the prevalence and distribution of congenital heart defects in cats presented at two referral centers in Sweden between 1996 and 2013.Animals: 162 client-owned cats with congenital heart defects.Methods: Case records of cats diagnosed with congenital heart disease were reviewed retrospectively.Results: The overall prevalence of congenital heart disease was 0.2% of the total number of patient cats, and 8% of cats diagnosed with heart disease. A total of 182 heart defects were identified as 16 cats were diagnosed with more than one defect. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) was most prevalent, found in 50% of cats, followed by tricuspid valve dysplasia (11%), pulmonic stenosis (10%), atrial septal defect (10%), aortic stenosis (9%), mitral valve dysplasia (9%), tetralogy of Faltot (5%), patent ductus arteriosus (3%), common atrioventricular canal (2%), and the following defects that each accounted for 0.6% of cats: double chamber right ventricle, double outlet right ventricle, endocardial fibroelastosis, dextroposition of the aorta, persistent right aortic arch, and pulmonary atresia.Conclusion: The prevalence of congenital heart disease was 0.2% of the total number of patient cats, and 8% of cats diagnosed with heart disease. Ventricular septal defect was the most common congenital heart defect in this study. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Feline; Cardiac; Malformation

Published in

Journal of Veterinary Cardiology
2015, Volume: 17, number: Supplement 1, pages: S215-S219