My cat has had an enlarged heart since birth. T... | VETSCOPE - RHELP

Cat / Scottish Fold - Answered 1342 days ago

My cat has had an enlarged heart since birth. Two months ago he started burping after eating or drinking. He has plenty of appetite, loves to eat snacks, and is able to defecate normally. His current medications are Coenzyme Q10, Nitorole (Isosorbide Dinitrate), Persantin, and Taurine all prescribed from our home doctor for his heart disease. I've read an article saying that cats don't usually burp, so I'm a little concerned. I chose to come here considering a trip to the vet may be risky for the heart due to the unstable temperature. Please give me some advice.

Jennifer Richards

Jun

Scottish Fold, 7 years old castrated male

5 Answers

While burping in cats isn't really indicative of any underlying health issues, there are some similar noises and behaviors that should result in an immediate trip to the vet. You could also pay attention to the posture of your cat after eating,that could help. Thank you

Answered 1342 days ago icon1

Hello Jennifer. Hope your Jun is doing good and actively playful. See, cats can swallow air into the stomach during play, sleeping, purring, eating or drinking water. Gas is released from the stomach and sometimes travels up instead of down. This release travels up the esophagus and out in the form of a burp. Some are barely noticeable while others may have you running in the opposite direction! Here I can tell you something After each feeding hold the kitten upright with its tummy against your shoulder and pat it gently until it burps, releasing trapped air. Nursing bottles that do not release enough milk lead to more air being trapped as the kitten nurses.

Answered 1362 days ago icon2

Burping or belching is the act of releasing gas from the stomach via the mouth that often happens noisily. After swallowing a lot of gas while talking, eating, taking carbonated beverages, and so on humans may release the air noisily after sometimes. Some animals such as rabbits are known not to be able to belch. What about cats? Can cats burp Whether cats burp or not is something many pet lovers and veterinarians do not agree upon. There are those who agree and say they have ever heard their cats burp while some veterinarians and professionals note that is rare and they have never heard it happen. 1. Those who agree Those who agree often point out at the belching sound and the stinky gas they have noted especially after their felines have eaten. Some have even noted their kitties farting. However, the stinky gas may be due to bath breath in kitties. Do cats burp Do cats burp? For instance, as Petful notes “my cat is healthy and I know she just ate, so the sound and smell are obviously a burp, right? Cat owners all over the web agree and discuss their funny and stinky stories about all sorts of emitted sounds and smell their furry friends make.” This is the same opinion presented by The Nest as they say the “cat eats very quickly, the amount of gas ingested increases. This excess air enters the digestive tract and stomach, resulting in belching soon after eating.” A theory given on how it occurs is that as felines are eating quickly, purring, drinking, sleeping or playing they may swallow a lot of gas. This gas can either go down the digestive system or up and release it through the mouth. It is something you may barely notice as it may happen quietly. Finally, as we will see later while feeding your kittens, it is recommended you help them burp. This is an indicator that these pets can. 2. Those who disagree Several veterinarians and experts note that the occurrence is very rare, and they have never noticed it, and it is not one of the reported medical problems. For instance, according to PetMD, these words of Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a staff doctor at NYC’s Animal Medical Center, seems to support the fact that it is rare. She says, “I swear I’ve heard my cats burp, but the lack of information out there indicates that if cats do burp, it’s not very important to their overall health.” Similar sentiments have been shared by several other veterinarians. However, having never heard a kitty belch may not mean they do not do so. Most vets associate the retching that might be confused with a belch during fur regurgitation attempts, allergies, esophagitis symptoms (esophagus inflammation) and in case there is swallowed air, your cat will vomit, i.e., the air will come out with some food. Also, respiratory noises asthma and other nasal problems including muted coughs may be confused for burps and if they are severe, you need to see your vet. Finally, gurgling tummy noises due to hairballs, gastrointestinal obstruction, inflammatory bowel disease, parasites, GI cancers may be confused for belching noises. My cat burping a lot If your cat burps a lot after eating, consider buying slow cat feeders and giving each kitty their feeding bowl to reduce competition while eating. Also, check on diets and avoid milk as it has lactose, fruits may make your feline gassy, go for foods with high quality and digestible proteins or hypoallergenic diets. In case they are persistent, there could underlying problems causing it. Consider visiting your vet for further diagnosis. How to burp a kitten? As they are feeding, kittens, including newborn ones may swallow a lot of air which can result in an excessive gas build-up in kittens’ stomach which besides causing gastrointestinal discomfort can even kill them. Therefore, you are required to get rid of it by burping your kittens every time after feeding them unless you are using tubes to feed them. How do you do it? There are two ways. The first method is to “hold the kitten upright with its tummy against your shoulder and pat it gently, but firmly on its back until it burps,” notes Carol’s Ferals. The second method placing the palm of your hand underneath kitten’s stomach and patting him gently on the back until you feel or hear him or her belch. In case you don’t and there are not symptoms of stomach disturbances, you need not worry since they might not be having some gas in their stomach.

Answered 1364 days ago icon2

Hello Jennifer. Burping is not a big problem in cats. But if its occur since two months ago, you should definitely take your cat to the vet. I recommend following the pill with syringe of water when administering the medicine prescribed. Thankyou Jennifer.

Answered 1364 days ago icon0

Dear Jennifer Yes you need to concern. I will suggest you for ultrasound to diagnosise heart enlargement size . I will suggest some test like liver function tests as well kidney function test. One more thing please also do ultrasound of liver. My treatment will be focus on liver. There must be liver congestion in my guess. So go for some tests as I advised.

Answered 1365 days ago icon0

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