RESULTS OF AN ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC STUDY IN HCM IN CATS OF DIFFERENT AGES

Abstract

Cardiomyopathies are a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases with varying phenotypes and prognosis. Feline cardiomyopathies are common, and cardiovascular disease is among the 10 most common causes of death in cats. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common cause of heart failure, arterial thromboembolism, and sudden death in cats. HCM is a primary myocardial lesion characterized by unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and impaired myocardial relaxation. The cause of primary or idiopathic in cats is unknown, but hereditary pathology probably exists in many cases. The disease is widespread in breeds such as Maine Coon, Persian, Ragdoll, American Shorthair. There are also reports of HCM in littermates and other close relatives of domestic shorthair cats. The method of electrocardiography is quite sensitive in the diagnosis of cardiomyopathies in humans, therefore, the study of ECG signs of HCM in cats, as well as the study of the dynamics of disease progression, the development and improvement of the treatment of this disease is an urgent scientific and practical problem in veterinary medicine, which has not been sufficiently resolved to date. According to the obtained ECG data, it can be concluded that recording in animals of different ages, as well as in animals that have a hereditary predisposition to the development of this disease, can play a key role in diagnosing an early stage of cardiomyopathy. The prevalence of HCM in cats with a predisposition to this disease is much higher than in cats without this genetic predisposition. Further studies involving more cats with HCM, secondary left ventricular hypertrophy, and normal hearts are proposed to better understand the heterogeneity and complexity of this myocardial disease.