Heart murmur diagnosed, yesterday. I am FREAKING OUT!

[psmithaitchison]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here and I'm sorry that it's in these circumstances.
Yesterday, we took our Kitten Pie for his new vet (we moved in February) for his annual MOT and injections and he was diagnosed with a heart murmur. He's four years old and this has never been picked up, before.
He is four years old, an outdoor cat, and otherwise very healthy. He currently has no symptoms.
The vet was very matter-of-fact (as I know they have to be) and mentioned he may go on to develop heart problems. Whilst I was holding back my tears of panic, he said that they won't run any more tests unless he has any symptoms.
Because Kitten Pie is outside so much, we only see him in the evenings, when he's mostly eating and sleeping so now I'm panicking that we may be missing symptoms and could have found it earlier and generally doing all the things that anxious cat owners do, when they're upset.
I've done some reading up and know that there's only a chance that he'll develop something more serious but it's the not knowing. I don't want to spend the next however many years, waiting for him to be poorly.
I'm a bit of a mess about the whole things, to be honest.
Should I be pushing for tests or was the vet right to leave it, for now? I know the scan may mean him being sedated, which they obviously want to avoid, if it's not needed. Should he still be going outside, so much?
Thanks, everyone.

[greenkitty]

Welcome to CC

Sorry to hear about your boy but please don't panic, heart murmurs are surprisingly common and it may be years and years before he develops any symptoms. I was told my 4 year old Tig had one but at the last check when I asked they couldn't find any trace of it!

[Kay]

don't panic - to some extent we all spend our days waiting for our cats to show signs of illness, given that we live a lot longer than they do

meanwhile, he doesn't know there's any possible future problem, and lives his life each day at a time - I'd try to put it out of your mind too, and follow his example

[bobbys girl]

I don't know much about heart murmurs but as mummy to a FIV+ kitty, I do know how you feel. I agree with kay and greenkitty - DON'T PANIC! - though it is easier said than done.

If the others come in wet and muddy (we live in Fermanagh - wet and muddy is common) I just shut them out of the bedroom and let them clean and dry themselves. But with Bob, he gets dried carefully and sat on a warm, dry towel. At the first opportunity he is off running, chasing, hunting, climbing trees. He is a typical little boy with a perfectly normal life. I still want to wrap him in cotton wool but I know there is no need.

Don't worry about something that may never happen. Tell you what, I won't if you won't!

[Crewella]

Hello and welcome. I know it's very hard not to, but please don't panic - it may or may not be a problem in the future, and in a way you're in much the same position as you were before the vet told you - we all live in fear of our cats developing health problems to some degree! My old Giddy was diagnosed with a heart murmer aged about 9, and she went on to live to a grand old 19.5 years and even then it was her kidneys that gave out on her (I believe).

In your position, I'd leave him be and carry on as before. Give him a fuss from me - the only thing he will know about this is that he'll feel even more loved and fussed over. He's fine!

[Janey]

Hello and welcome, as others have said no need to panic. One of ours had a heart murmer all of his life, it was checked when we took him for vaccinations etc and although the grade went slightly higher as he got older it never affected him, he lived a normal healthy life. I also recently fostered and rehomed a a cat of 3 with a heart murmer, no problem, in fact there were 6 cats which came in together and 2 of the 6 (unrelated) had murmers - they are common. Fusses to your Kitten Pie x

[Cat]

Hello

Please don't panic. My beautiful tabby cat, Lou, had a heart murmur diagnosed at around a year old and passed to Rainbow Bridge some 15 years later from an unrelated illness. She was very much an outdoor cat, and in the Summer months she'd leave the house at 7 am and return around 9 pm for supper.

Like you, I was terribly scared when I found out. Importantly, your vet knows and will monitor when s/he needs to. Lou had several operations during her life, mostly dental, and was absolutely fine.

I hope this reassures you a little. It can be really hard not worry. My present cat, Scholes, is FIV+ and at first I freaked out. But with the reassurances from the lovely people on this forum I learned to do what you should do with any other cat - keep you eyes open to any problems, but not to over worry.

[busydee]

My cat of ~ 4 + years was diagnosed with a 'massive' heart murmur this week. I had taken her to the vet as she wasn't quite her normal lively self and not eating a lot ( or using the litter tray much either)
she had been checked in July for her normal annual jabs, otherwise she has never had any problems. I think the vet is freaking me out, keeps saying well, bring her back in 2 days or ring in 2 days,, ' we don't want to get to the weekend and her collapsing. '

She still isn't eating much but I am giving her tablets and liquid meds (when I can!)
and I am finding it difficult to judge how she really is. She doesn't' go out much at the best of times.
I think that her behaviour has probably been changing for a while and that this might have been developing for a while. I cant wrap her up in cotton wool I have to leave her while I work all day,, is there anything that I should look out for? She still isn't eating with her usual relish but the vet said she probably had pancreatitis as well.

Oh wise ladies and gents,, any thoughts? Obviously I will keep in touch with the vets and do whatever they suggest but it is very worrying.

[busydee]

oops accidentally gave poor little Maisie 2 doses of Benzacare today,, was supposed to be one half tab a day but i misread it and gave her another one with her tea...she s been out in the garden and is now washing so maybe double the dose was what she needed, think i will wait until later tomorrow to give her the next one