My cat's brother died from heart disease. Is it genetic? What can I do?

Hello. Thank you for your question. I can understand your concern. It is possible that the issue was genetic so It would not hurt to have your kitten tested for any deficits. It could also be completely unrelated. The sibling could have had issues from birth that none of the other kittens had, or it could have injested something toxic. Symptoms to look for would be increased or severly decreased water consumption, lethargy, weight loss, decreased appetite, and bad breath. Your veterinarian will be able to run blood tests that will show if there is any decreased kidney function. I hope everything turns out ok! If you have any further questions you can always contact me directly through the consultaions option.

First off, I'm sorry very sorry you lost Rigby! Please accept my condolences for your loss. I don't think the chances are high Chicken has cardiomyopathy as well. You can have his heart checked out by a vet to make sure everything is ok. Again, I'm sorry for your loss.

You can do genetic tests in cats to see if they posses genetic markers for developing hereditary cardiac diseases, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. You can speak to your vet about having a genetic test done for inherited heart disease. You can also have x-rays done to check the size of their heart, and ECGs to examine the heart's rhythm to check for abnormalities. Finally, an echocardiogram can be done with an ultrasound to see how blood flows through the heart and if there are any valve or blood flow abnormalities.

I'm sorry to hear about your dog's brother. This is a hereditary condition, so it's good to have your dog checked by a vet - especially if you feel his breathing is a bit fast. Sometimes, there can be evidence of heart disease detected at physical exam, but x-rays, EKG and sometimes echocardiography is needed to diagnose the specific condition. This can cost anywhere from $150 to $500 depending on the testing done and any involvement of specialists. We can usually work within your budget though, so it's good to inform your vet how much you are willing to spend. I hope that helps and all is well with Gus.

I am so very sorry for your loss. I can't image how surprising and upset that must have been for you. The best way to find out why you're little boy passed away would be an autopsy. Without an autopsy, my best guess would be heart disease. Cats get a heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle is abnormally thick and doesn't pump blood effectively. Often and tragically the first symptom of this disease is sudden death. Little One could be grieving the loss of her brother - this is quite common. The surviving pet's routines and life are suddenly different and their playmate is gone, so they experience true loss. Depending on how recently your boy passed away, I might be concerned about a toxin making them both sick. If you know about any potential toxin exposure or if there is mouse bait in or around your home, Little One needs to go to the emergency vet right away. I would be most concerned about a toxin if it was within the last 12-24 hours that your boy passed away. Beyond that, it's unlikely that it's effecting her so much slowly. All in all, if she's really acting strange, not eating, sleeping too much, having any vomiting or diarrhea, it would be best to take her to the emergency clinic for an exam. If you still have your little boy's body, doing the autopsy could ease your mind as well. Please accept my condolences during this difficult time.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately there is no test to check for "cancer genes" in dogs. I'm very sorry to hear that Ollie's sibling recently passed from cancer. While some cancers can be genetic in origin, Ollie is not necessarily at increased risk of developing the same cancer that his brother did. That being said, it is always recommended that dogs have at least annual exams performed by your veterinarian, and as they get older, have bloodwork performed to check for any underlying organ issues. There is no blood test for cancer, but it can help us determine if certain organs are not functioning as they should. It will be important for you to monitor for any unusual clinical signs that may suggest Ollie is becoming sick - such as lethargy, decreased appetite, vomiting, weight loss, diarrhea, etc. As long as he is continuing to act normally at home, I would not be concerned!

The BNP has been shown to have a low specificity for heart disease, meaning that there are many things that can cause a false positive. While a negative can be a fairly good indicator that there is no significant structural heart disease, a positive may or may not mean the heart is affected. I typically recommend following up with an echocardiogram (not sure if that is what is scheduled, EKG usually refers to electrocardiogram which is different) to look for structural heart disease. There may or may not be a problem with the heart so I would try not to worry too much until you have more information.