My kitten is tired, panting, and losing fur. Is it heart disease?

How lovely of you to take in feral cats! Yes, it certainly is possible Butternut could have a bad heart, but the only way to know for sure is to have him seen by a vet. It would be a good idea to have this checked out, as medications may help with any symptoms he is displaying. I would urge you to have him seen by a vet for at least a physical exam and chest x-rays. I hope this helps!

Yes, this is a concern so I do recommend having Walter seen by a vet for it. While it could be the heat, I can't rule out a medical condition causing the panting without seeing him in person. Give his vet a call today to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

That is concerning. How long ago were those test performed? Sometimes as disease progresses, it becomes easier to see on xrays or echocardiogram, so I am wondering if repeating some tests may help. If its been more than even day, things can change dramatically on Xray. A young cat (he is listed at 7 monhts old) should be able to play and be quite active without panting, certainly panting is abnormal after only mild exertion. I recommend that you take him back to your vet, or take him to a veterinary internal medicine specialist. I'm so sorry he's not feeling well! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Your kitten will need to have an exam by your veterinarian. She could be suffering from a congenital malformation of the blood vessels near the heart or have a hole in the septum of the heart. This would often not show when the kitten is resting, but when it exercises, runs and plays there is not enough oxygen being pumped to the lungs and muscles because oxygenated and used up blood mixes. Problems often do not occur until 3-4 months of age. Please make an appointment with your vet for an exam.

Hello and thank you for another question. The heart scan detected a hole between the ventricles, which is causing the blood from the two ventricles to mix. This is a condition Fuji was born with. Fortunately, there are no signs of heart failure on the scan, which means that the heart is coping well at the moment. Complete cure means closing the defect with surgery. It is possible in human medicine, I doubt it is a viable option for cats, maybe it is available at some universities in USA. In my opinion, the best way to go would be doing another heart scan when Fuji is about 12-14 months old. That will show if the disease is progressing or not and a decision about treatment can be made then. For now, I don't think there is any treatment that would make any significant difference for Fuji.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Panda evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While panting and open mouth breathing can be due to nervousness to some extent, this most likely signals a respiratory condition such as asthma, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I highly recommend you consider taking Fluffy to your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They will likely recommend starting with an exam and chest radiographs. Hoping for the best! Good luck and have a great day!