When should my Sphynx cat be scanned for HCM, how often, and cost?

Just based on your description I would say you should have Samson examined by your vet. Sphinx cats have a genetic predisposition to heart disease, namely hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This disease can cause heart murmurs and arrhythmias which are often the first clinical signs. Your vet needs to listen to the heart with a stethoscope and possibly do an EKG test. That is where I would start. I do not think the vomiting and diarrhea are heart related so he may have two separate issues going on concurrently.

I have attached a link below that provides some general information on HCM. Your cardiologist may have given you much of this and i am sure has ruled out things like high thyroid (hyperthyroidism) and high blood pressure. The most important things are to rule out other diseases that can cause thickening, monitor at home for any changes, and follow up with your cardiologist to see if the disease is progressing. For cats that are diagnosed when asymptomatic (such as evaluation for a heart murmur) the disease may or may not advance. Many cats can live a long life if the disease does not advance. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! www2.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy

Unfortunately hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats can cause them to have a shorter life span. They because more at risk of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and thromboembolism. I'm glad you were able to seek the help of a cardiologist for Smudge because atenolol and ace inhibitors can help increase a kitty with HCM life expectancy. You may be able to get the ace inhibitors compounded into a liquid to make giving it easier. Or try a pill pocket or other treat to get Smudge to take the medication. One thing you can do at home to monitor Smudge for signs of trouble is keeping track of his resting respiratory rate. Count his breaths per minute when he is in a deep sleep. Anything above 30 breaths per minute would be considered abnormal and means he should see a veterinarian.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear about Alfie's diagnosis. Unfortunately, no one can predict exactly how Alfie's hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) will progress. Some cats can live for years with known heart disease, while the disease progresses more rapidly in other cats. The progression of HCM is variable, and the best person to provide you with a more detailed prognosis would be a veterinary cardiologist. Often the best we can do is regular monitoring (recheck echocardiograms) to watch for progression of the disease and provide the appropriate treatment accordingly. Even so, there are some things we cannot predict, such as a thromboembolism, that can occur secondary to heart disease. It's difficult to have so many unknowns, and so I encourage you to ask your vet about referral to a veterinary cardiologist for evaluation if you would find more information helpful. I know this is still a pretty open-ended answer, but hopefully it helps guide you to the next step.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations on getting a new kitty. Sphynxs are certainly super adorable and fun to have. Once your kitty is fully vaccinated, we recommend follow-up visits to a veterinarian every 6 months to for health check-ups. Other things to consider with Sphynxs is bathing them and cleaning their ears relatively frequently, at least every 2-4 weeks. Another thing to consider is that since they do not have hair, they may get cold when it seems like it really is not that cold so consider that fact going forward. If you have the AC on and they are shaking for example, they may be too cold. Other than that, enjoy your kitty, they are amazing pets! Have a good night!

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 am so sorry for you loss! This can be genetic. I would have an echo done on her heart to look at her heart walls and chamber sizes. I would also have your vet do a proBNP (idexx) on her to get a baseline number. ProBNP is an heart muscle enzyme that increases with heart muscle damage or stretching. This and the echo together would give you a good idea on what the heart is looking like. I would recommend to do this once a year to keep a close eye on it since we know her heart could be genetically prone to issues. I hope this helps!