Feline congestive heart failure occurs when your cat’s heart doesn’t pump enough blood. This deprives tissues of necessary blood. The condition is commonly a problem for obese and older cats.

Causes

There are various things that can cause heart failure in cats. It can occur if the ventricles don’t contract with enough force to push blood out of the heart properly. Sometimes, the ventricles are incapable of filling up all the way, so less blood is pushed out of the heart. Feline congestive heart failure can also be caused when there is too much fluid in your cat’s heart.

Symptoms

Heart failure can occur in the left or right side of the heart. Sometimes both sides are affected. If the left side is affected, your cat will experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, fainting, and severe coughing. Feline congestive heart failure of the right side causes symptoms such as an enlarged spleen or liver and difficulty breathing. There may also be fluid buildup in the lungs, abdomen, and sac adjacent to the heart.

Diagnosis

The veterinarian will suspect heart failure based upon the symptoms displayed by your cat. An ultrasound and an x-ray of the chest will also be done. These two tests will look for an enlarged heart and for the accumulation of fluid.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for feline congestive heart failure. Your cat may be given medications to get rid of excess fluid in the abdomen, chest, and around the heart. Sometimes, the excess fluid will be drained without the use of medications. You will also be asked to switch your cat’s diet and prevent too much exercise. This will help reduce the heart’s workload and prevent fluid buildup.