Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Thickening of the heart muscle that reduces how well the heart fills and pumps. The most common heart disease in cats, and a cause of sudden decline or clots.
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Screening and Genetics: Maine Coons, Ragdolls and the proBNP Test
Three different tests get talked about for feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and online they are often thrown together as if you could pick any one of them. A gene swab, a blood test, a heart scan. They are not...
Feline HCM Explained: The Thickened Heart, and Why Cats Hide It
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a mouthful of a diagnosis, and most owners leave the consulting room holding the letters HCM and not much else. Meanwhile the cat it refers to is asleep on the sofa, looking entirely fine....
Saddle Thrombus: The Sudden Clot Every HCM Owner Should Know
A cat who seemed entirely well an hour ago is abruptly screaming in pain, dragging its back legs, and unable to stand. There is one feline emergency that frightens vets as much as it frightens owners, and this is it. To...
Living With a Cat With HCM: Monitoring, Stress and Rechecks
A diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy comes with a steep learning curve, but here is the part to hold onto first: it does not have to mean a fearful life, for you or for your cat. Many cats with HCM live for years...
Feline HCM: Prognosis, From Incidental Murmur to Managed Disease
The question behind every other question, the one that rarely gets asked aloud in the consult room, is how long you have and how bad it will get. You deserve a real answer to that, not a single grim figure...
When a Cat With HCM Goes Into Heart Failure
Heart failure in a cat usually skips the warnings owners brace for. No cough builds over weeks, no visible slow decline. A cat who seemed perfectly fine in the morning is, by the evening, sitting hunched and breathing...
Preventing Clots: Clopidogrel and the FATCAT Evidence
Clopidogrel is a small daily tablet your vet may have started, or suggested, for a cat with heart disease. You have probably been told it is "to thin the blood" or "to prevent a clot". That is the gist of it, but it is...
HCM and Anaesthesia: Why Screening Before a Routine Op Matters
Most cats sail through a neuter, a dental or a lump removal without a hitch, and modern feline anaesthesia is genuinely safe. There is one quiet exception worth understanding, though, because it is both real and largely...
Breeds prone to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is seen more often in some breeds than others. If you have one of these, its breed guide covers what to watch for and where to get help.
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