If you had the idea that AF is reserved for us, humans, you were wrong. It is kinda catching, lol, so our pets can also have AF problems. Here a passage from an article, talking about AF in cats and dogs and the interdependence of heart size and the probability to have AF (allegedly, larger hearts (sportsmen) are more prone to AF than smaller ones):
"Thus, atrial fibrillation is much less common in cats than in dogs. And it’s less common in small breed dogs than large breed dogs.
Occasionally, giant and large-breed dogs develop atrial fibrillation without any other heart disease, similar to what we see in humans and horses (let’s face it, some Great Danes are almost as big as horses!). This is termed “lone” or primary atrial fibrillation. In some cases, this “lone” atrial fibrillation turns out to be the first indication of dilated cardiomyopathy; in other cases, the arrhythmia exists without underlying heart disease."
You're right on Bob, I've had a few race horses (thoroughbred and quarter horses) and I know I've seen a few die on the race track even though when checked by a veterinarian they were ok but during a race they would collapse. Much like we humans with paroxysmal afib we go in and out of it . When these horses are examined there is no signs of afib but during a race it may appear and it's not good as they are trained to run flat out once the gates open and I know there's been some trainers that know there is a problem but still make the horse run. I have found this to be one of the Cruelest sports? around.
I know that your comment is for BobD, but it was really interesting to read it! Thanks for the info! So, the horses die in the hippodrome like the footballers die in the stadium, playing football. The influence of physical activity may be far larger than expected!
I believe that's true. I used to box and the training was intense but I don't think I had afib then, but I stayed connected with the game until I was 54 years old, I've had this curse for 32 years now and that was even with afib, running 7 miles a day in the sand, warm ups with the fighters, sparring as well theoretically back in training again, but I was on Tikosyn for app. 25 years which did a superb job with my afib, I would still be on it but it stopped working or I would still be training boxers hence I had to stop and grow old and fat. If they would treat horse's health care like they do we humans I think there would be less horse's accidently dying while competing. Have a Great Day!
and good luck trying to get them to take anticoagulants 😉
I have just come back from the vet an hour ago. He was in for his booster, annual health check and blood tests (on medication so has to have regular blood tests). He has had a heart murmur for several years (has had several heart scans) and told today he has AF. Very mild at the moment so no treatment, just keep an eye on him. If it gets worse will be interesting to see what medication he is given!!
I think like humans the hearts of cats and dogs are the same size no matter how big it active the animal , or human , is.It is part of the reason why larger breed dogs are often classed as the" laziest" , or least active , because of the extra stress and increased calories circulating the blood around their bodies causes especially during exercise. As Stress , or any activity good or bad that causes the body to cope with more than it can at its current health level is the major contributor to certain cardiovascular conditions like AF it's not surprising that certain animals get it. Sudden Cardiac Arrest us a known issue for highly trained race horses , for example.
A sportsperson for example , may also be physically strong and muscular but their normal sized human hearts are often put under increased stress ( known as over exertion syndrome) during training and competitions . This can increase bytheir risks of developing certain cardiovascular conditions like AF , Tachycardias and Arrhythmias, sometimes earlier in life than the average , especially if they also have a family history of heart conditions or other as yet undiagnosed health problems.
Testing on Marathon runners for example , post race have found high concentrations of certain heart troponin levels and a decrease in blood flow and left and right ventricular function which also occur in people whom suffer cardiac events ; and which cause some temporary heart enlargement.
Constant over exertion stress can eventually cause a thickening of the heart wall in some cases and trigger the development of certain heart problems.
Not that, that means that people should remain couch potatoes but it is a reminder that we need to listen to our bodies and that carrying on regardless or following the " No Pain, No Gain" myth can be detrimental as well.
Cats probably have it right, They have very high heart rates as well as a " fight or flight " ANS response cranked up to 11 . So they learn to use their bodies in ways that reduce exertion and use the minimum amount of energy required for a task. They also manage their Stress levels effectively by choosing to sleep so often to maintain their health but combining that with a gentle regular amount of movement and stretching. Which is probably really helpful for a creature whom has 9 lives to look after instead of 1!
Our cat Syd, mentioned above, was a rescue cat. His first year of life was spent in one of those homes overcrowded with cats where the owner doesn’t look after them properly. I knew his toilet problems almost certainly were due to this, but had never made the connection with his heart murmur.
With a little more care and great patience he did live to a respectable age.
We had a cat many years ago, that was living in our empty house before we bought it. We were standing in the kitchen talking to our friends who were staying, doing some toast. He jumped up and peed in the electric toaster whilst it was on! Luckily he didn't electrocute himself.🤗
Thanks Nesco. Very interesting. I think the developments of vetinary practise has been immense in recent years so that animals now often access the same level of medical assessment and treatment but often quicker than us humans means that a whole raft of previously undiagnosed let alone previously untreated health conditions have been exposed. Why wouldn't AF be too? My lovely little dog is 12. She was recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her spine hips and is on monthly injections to relieve the pain. She now bounces round like a young dog , previously slow and laid up most of the time, clearly in pain. It's a miracle. How long for I don't know..... But I do wonder if there's an equivalent available for us mere humans!
My cat is a Bengal and is about 11 yrs old (rescue cat and birth date not known) . In 2020 he was dianosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. He is given Clopidogrel daily and is fine. I was told by the vet that Bengals are especially prone to this condition.
My Persian. Cat had afib and was put on a beta blocker. Sadly she is no longer with me but lived to the grand old age of 17, she was put to sleep a few weeks ago from unrelated health conditions 💔
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