Introduction
Heartbeat arrhythmia in cats is a condition in which the heartbeat has an irregular beat. This irregularity can occur as a faster than normal heartbeat, a slower than normal heartbeat, or a heartbeat that skips beats. Cats can develop heartbeat arrhythmias for a variety of reasons, and treatment is not always necessary. If your cat has been diagnosed with heartbeat arrhythmia, your veterinarian will need to find out what is causing the condition in order to begin effective treatments.
Treating Heartbeat Arrhythmia in Cats
Some cats develop a heartbeat arrhythmia if they become too excited or afraid. Veterinarians often pick up on this type of heartbeat arrhythmia when a cat comes in for an annual examination. A temporary heartbeat arrhythmia caused by stress or fear does not require any treatment. If the veterinarian suspects that the heartbeat arrhythmia is caused by another medical condition, then tests will be performed to find out why the heartbeat arrhythmia is occurring.
There are a few diseases that can cause heartbeat arrhythmia to develop as a symptom: hyperthyroidism and kidney disease are two of the most common diseases that can cause heartbeat arrhythmia in cats. In these cases, treating or controlling the disease will help to resolve the arrhythmic condition.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a type of heart condition that is sadly a commonly diagnosed condition in cats. This condition is the cat form of ‘cardiovascular disease,’ and it causes the cat’s heart muscle to thicken. There is no cure for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but there are treatments available that can help reduce the symptoms and extend the cat’s life. Atenolol or diltiazem are the two most popular prescription treatments available; these medications will relax the heart muscle, slow the heart rate, and balance irregular heartbeats.