Introduction

• Congenital heart defects (CHDs) may be defined as those abnormalities of heart structure that are present at birth.
• Traditionally, abnormalities of aortic arch development are also included in this category of cardiac disease.
• Many congenital cardiac defects arise as a result of the aberrant embryological development of the heart and great vessels.
• Very little is known regarding breed predilections for the various CHDs in cats.
• Feline congenital heart diseases include:
  • Ventricular septal defect Ventricular septal defect.
  • Mitral or tricuspid dysplasia Atrioventricular valve dysplasia.
  • Aortic stenosis Heart: aortic stenosis.
  • Patent ductus arteriosus Patent ductus arteriosus.
  • Pulmonic stenosis.
  • Endocardial fibroelastosis.
  • Tetralogy of fallot Tetralogy of fallot.
  • Atrial septal defect Atrial septal defect.

Development of congenital heart disease

Clinical signs

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Schrope D P (2015) Prevalence of congenital heart disease in 76, 301 mixed breed dogs and 57, 052 mixed breed cats. J Vet Cardiol 17 (3), 192-202 PubMed.
• MacDonald K A (2006) Congenital heart diseases of puppies and kittens. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 36 (3), 503-531 PubMed.

Other sources of information

• Strickland K & Oyama M A (2015) Congenital heart disease. In: Manual of Canine and Feline Cardiology. 5th edn. Eds F W K Smith, L P Tilley, M A Oyama, M M Sleeper. Philadelphia: Elsevier, pp 218-238.
• Bonagura J & Lehmkuhl L (1999) Congenital heart disease. In: Textbook of Canins and Feline Cardiology. 2nd edn. Eds P R Fox, D Sisson, & N S Moise. Philadelphia: W B Saunders, pp 471-566.
• Bonagura J & Darke P (1995) Congenital heart disease. In: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 4th edn. Ed S J Ettinger, Philadelphia: W B Saunders. pp 892-943.