If your cat has been diagnosed with HCM, here is what you need to know. 

Eleven Steps To Help Your HCM Kitty

1) HAVE AN ECHO EXAM DONE by a veterinary cardiologist or radiologist at diagnosis, and then every 6 months afterward.

2) EVALUATE YOUR CAT'S OVERALL HEALTH with...

• BLOOD TESTS-- Complete Blood Count, Chemistry Panel, Thyroid Assay.  Why? because you want to KNOW that there is no underlying cause for your kitty's heart problem, and that the heart issue is not CREATING any other issue.
• URINALYSIS -- Your cat's kidneys are the organ most commonly damaged by heart problems.
• BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT -- high blood pressure can be both a cause AND a result of heart disease.  You need to KNOW this.  Not all vet teams are great at measuring BP in cats, so ask them how often they do it.

3) SCHEDULE AN ANESTHETIC DENTAL with your veterinarian.    Why?  Because bad teeth will not only create pain but also worsen heart disease.  Now is the time to solve that BEFORE your cat's heart function worsens.  One thing-- if your vet cannot take x-rays of every tooth... find another vet.

4) THINK ABOUT A DIETARY CHANGE.  You can home cook or buy prescription diets from your vet for your kitty, but many "regular" cat diets contain excessive salt or protein.  Even just a little extra salt will increase blood pressure, making it harder for your cat's heart to work.  Excessive protein can damage kidneys already at risk from HCM.  Prescription kidney diets work very well for cardiac kitties like yours.

5) IS YOUR CAT OBESE?  Every OUNCE of extra weight will worsen your kitty's cardiac function.

6) TALK TO YOUR BREEDER.  HCM can be a genetic disease passed to kittens by their parents, so if you bought from a breeder they should know about it... and prevent any future breeding by that pair.

7) CONSIDER RAPAMYCIN.  The recent Trivium study showed that rapamycin was successful in slowing or stopping the progression of HCM in about 2/3 of cats.  There is NO other drug that can do this.  LEARN MORE HERE.

8) ATENOLOL is a prescription drug that slows your cat's heart rate and helps to reduce blood pressure.

9) PIMOBENDAN is a prescription drug that increases cardiac output.

10) FUROSEMIDE helps to keep your kitty's lungs clear as their heart function worsens.

11) CLOPIDOGREL (PLAVIX) is a prescription drug used to minimize the risk of blood clot formation.  Blood clots occur when blood flow is made more turbulent by your cat's HCM.

And most important?  Spoil your cat.  Every day.

Let me know if I can help. You can reach me at ktomandvm@gmail.com