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The prevalence of murmurs and gallop sounds in anemic cats
Hannah Matson1, Virginia Luis Fuentes1, Karen Humm1
1Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK.
Insights
Anemia in cats commonly causes heart murmurs and gallop sounds, especially in severe cases. This emergency room study found these auscultatory abnormalities are more prevalent in anemic cats.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Cardiology
- Feline Internal Medicine
Background:
- Limited data exists on auscultatory abnormalities in anemic cats.
- This study addresses the prevalence of murmurs and gallops in anemic versus non-anemic cats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of cardiac murmurs and gallop sounds in anemic and non-anemic cats.
- To assess if anemia severity impacts the occurrence of these auscultatory findings.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of cat records from an emergency room (ER) and blood transfusion data.
- Exclusion of cats with pre-existing structural heart disease.
- Evaluation for murmurs and gallop sounds, correlating findings with packed cell volume (PCV).
Main Results:
- Murmurs were significantly more common in anemic cats (30%) than non-anemic cats (11%).
- Gallop sounds were also more prevalent in anemic cats (14%) compared to non-anemic cats (4%).
- Higher prevalence of both murmurs and gallops correlated with lower PCV, particularly below 16% and between 11%-20% respectively.
Conclusions:
- Auscultatory abnormalities, including murmurs and gallops, are frequent in anemic cats presenting to the ER.
- The severity of anemia directly correlates with an increased prevalence of these abnormal heart sounds.
Background:
There is little information on the prevalence of auscultatory abnormalities in anemic cats. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of cardiac murmurs and gallop sounds in a population of anemic and nonanemic cats presenting to an emergency room (ER) and to assess whether the prevalence of auscultatory abnormalities was influenced by the severity of anemia.
Key Findings:
Records of cats presenting to an ER between May 2021 and May 2022 or receiving a blood transfusion between September 2019 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed for presence of a murmur or gallop sound. Cats with known structural heart disease were excluded. A murmur was found in 56 of 185 (30%) anemic cats compared with 11 of 102 (11%) nonanemic cats (p < 0.001), with a higher proportion in cats with PCV <16% (p < 0.001). Twenty-five of 185 (14%) anemic cats had a gallop compared with 4 of 102 (4%) nonanemic cats (p = 0.009), with the highest proportion in cats with PCV 11%-20% (p < 0.001). Echocardiography was performed on 17 of 185 anemic cats; 8 had normal echocardiograms and 9 demonstrated evidence of chamber dilation without left ventricular wall thickening, consistent with anemia.
Conclusions:
Abnormalities on auscultation are common in anemic cats presenting to the ER, with a higher prevalence in more severely anemic cats.
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