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Question for someone who knows vet jargon



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 17th 07, 10:51 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
jmc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 610
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon

I've gotten copies of Meep's records to give to the new vet. Can
someone please translate this to layman's terms (any actual vets in
here)? All I was told at the time is that she had some small amount of
cardiomyopathy (or I may misremember).

"Echo shows mild Mitral regurg and aortic insufficiency. LV wall on
brink of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look
normal. Fractional shortening WNL."

She's a spayed dsh, at the time she was just shy of 10 years.

This was a year ago, nearly exactly. I'm trying to figure out if she
should get another echo to trach the status of whatever they found.
She's always been a quiet kitty, so it's possible I think that any heart
issues she's had from the beginning. Can that be told from this tho?

Thanks for any translation.

jmc
  #2  
Old April 17th 07, 10:58 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
body sweat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 75
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon

On Apr 17, 5:51 am, jmc wrote:
I've gotten copies of Meep's records to give to the new vet. Can
someone please translate this to layman's terms (any actual vets in
here)? All I was told at the time is that she had some small amount of
cardiomyopathy (or I may misremember).

"Echo shows mild Mitral regurg and aortic insufficiency. LV wall on
brink of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look
normal. Fractional shortening WNL."

She's a spayed dsh, at the time she was just shy of 10 years.

This was a year ago, nearly exactly. I'm trying to figure out if she
should get another echo to trach the status of whatever they found.
She's always been a quiet kitty, so it's possible I think that any heart
issues she's had from the beginning. Can that be told from this tho?

Thanks for any translation.

jmc


I'm a vet.

What you need...
let's see...

The answer to your question is.. certainly!

Looks like she's got air IN the heart. It can be fatal.. and it can be
no big deal.
It CAN work it's way out... a vet could have put the air there through
any iv's or shots etc.

  #3  
Old April 17th 07, 11:20 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
jmc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 610
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon

Suddenly, without warning, body sweat exclaimed (17-Apr-07 7:28 PM):
On Apr 17, 5:51 am, jmc wrote:
I've gotten copies of Meep's records to give to the new vet. Can
someone please translate this to layman's terms (any actual vets in
here)? All I was told at the time is that she had some small amount of
cardiomyopathy (or I may misremember).

"Echo shows mild Mitral regurg and aortic insufficiency. LV wall on
brink of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look
normal. Fractional shortening WNL."

She's a spayed dsh, at the time she was just shy of 10 years.

This was a year ago, nearly exactly. I'm trying to figure out if she
should get another echo to trach the status of whatever they found.
She's always been a quiet kitty, so it's possible I think that any heart
issues she's had from the beginning. Can that be told from this tho?

Thanks for any translation.

jmc


I'm a vet.

What you need...
let's see...

The answer to your question is.. certainly!

Looks like she's got air IN the heart. It can be fatal.. and it can be
no big deal.
It CAN work it's way out... a vet could have put the air there through
any iv's or shots etc.

::sigh:: I knew this was going to happen. Fortunately I do know enough
to recognize hot air.

jmc
  #4  
Old April 17th 07, 11:22 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
jmc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 610
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon

Suddenly, without warning, jmc exclaimed (17-Apr-07 7:50 PM):
Suddenly, without warning, body sweat exclaimed (17-Apr-07 7:28 PM):
On Apr 17, 5:51 am, jmc wrote:
I've gotten copies of Meep's records to give to the new vet. Can
someone please translate this to layman's terms (any actual vets in
here)? All I was told at the time is that she had some small amount of
cardiomyopathy (or I may misremember).

"Echo shows mild Mitral regurg and aortic insufficiency. LV wall on
brink of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look
normal. Fractional shortening WNL."

She's a spayed dsh, at the time she was just shy of 10 years.

This was a year ago, nearly exactly. I'm trying to figure out if she
should get another echo to trach the status of whatever they found.
She's always been a quiet kitty, so it's possible I think that any heart
issues she's had from the beginning. Can that be told from this tho?

Thanks for any translation.

jmc


I'm a vet.

What you need...
let's see...

The answer to your question is.. certainly!

Looks like she's got air IN the heart. It can be fatal.. and it can be
no big deal.
It CAN work it's way out... a vet could have put the air there through
any iv's or shots etc.

::sigh:: I knew this was going to happen. Fortunately I do know enough
to recognize hot air.

jmc


On second thought, I take that back - I think - I'm off to google some
stuff to see if I can substantiate this "air in the heart" statement,
never heard of such a thing.

jmc
  #5  
Old April 17th 07, 11:43 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
body sweat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 75
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon

On Apr 17, 6:22 am, jmc wrote:

On second thought, I take that back - I think - I'm off to google some
stuff to see if I can substantiate this "air in the heart" statement,
never heard of such a thing.

jmc


Back up and punt jmc, why are you posting this? what are the current
symptoms that would make you even think about the echo?

Is it the infection? I don't see how the pump (which is working fine..
it is)
has anything to do with a bladder infection.

what am I missing?

  #6  
Old April 17th 07, 12:09 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
MaryL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,779
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon


"jmc" wrote in message
...
I've gotten copies of Meep's records to give to the new vet. Can someone
please translate this to layman's terms (any actual vets in here)? All I
was told at the time is that she had some small amount of cardiomyopathy
(or I may misremember).

"Echo shows mild Mitral regurg and aortic insufficiency. LV wall on brink
of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look normal.
Fractional shortening WNL."

She's a spayed dsh, at the time she was just shy of 10 years.

This was a year ago, nearly exactly. I'm trying to figure out if she
should get another echo to trach the status of whatever they found. She's
always been a quiet kitty, so it's possible I think that any heart issues
she's had from the beginning. Can that be told from this tho?

Thanks for any translation.

jmc


First, I think you need to call your vet and ask for this information.
(especially your question about whether another echo is needed). Second,
you might want to post your questions to alt.med.veterinary since you were
specifically asking for information from veterinarians.

MaryL


  #7  
Old April 17th 07, 04:24 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
cindys
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 592
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon


"jmc" wrote in message
...
I've gotten copies of Meep's records to give to the new vet. Can someone
please translate this to layman's terms (any actual vets in here)? All I
was told at the time is that she had some small amount of cardiomyopathy
(or I may misremember).

"Echo shows mild Mitral regurg and aortic insufficiency. LV wall on brink
of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look normal.
Fractional shortening WNL."

She's a spayed dsh, at the time she was just shy of 10 years.

This was a year ago, nearly exactly. I'm trying to figure out if she
should get another echo to trach the status of whatever they found. She's
always been a quiet kitty, so it's possible I think that any heart issues
she's had from the beginning. Can that be told from this tho?

Thanks for any translation.

----------------
I'm not a vet, but I am a doctor. (I'm also not a cardiologist), but here's
your translation:

"Echocardiogram shows mild mitral regurgitation and aortic insufficiency.
Left ventrical wall on
brink of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look
normal. Fractional shortening within normal limits."

The heart is composed of four chambers, a left atrium, left ventricle, right
atrium, and right ventricle. The aorta is the major artery (has thick muscle
walls) of the body through which blood flows from the left ventricle to
other organs in the body. On each side of the heart, the atrium is on top
and the ventricle is on the bottom and blood is pumped from the atrium
through the ventricle.

Between each atrium and ventricle is a valve, which is supposed to close
everytime the heart contracts to prevent the blood from backflowing
("regurgitating") from the ventricle back into the atrium. The aorta also
has a valve to prevent backflow of blood from the aorta back into the left
ventricle. Sometimes, these valves develop a little problem in that they
don't close completely (i.e. become "insufficient"), and there is a small
amount of backflow of blood. The result is that the heart has to work harder
to pump the same amount of blood. Any time the heart has to work harder, the
heart itself (which is a giant muscle) responds by increasing in size
(hypertrophy). Cardiomyopathy is a generic medical word meaning disease of
heart muscle. "Fractional shortening" is the difference in size of the heart
between when it's full of blood and when it's squeezed.

In a human, the condition you describe above can be mild or severe. If mild,
the doctor will generally tell the patient not to worry and go on with his
life. The patient may notice that he tires more easily. When it's severe, a
cardiologist would probably want to do open-heart surgery and replace the
leaky valve. I've never heard of this type of procedure being done on a cat,
but at any rate, it sounds like your kitty's situation is mild and not
severe.

My thought is that you should keep an eye on the situation, maybe have the
echocardiogram repeated in a couple of years, but that you probably don't
have any reason to worry at this time.

But, please consult a veterinian. I am not a veterinarian nor am I a
cardiologist. What I have stated above is only my own understanding and
opinion.
Good luck.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.


  #8  
Old April 17th 07, 04:37 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
body sweat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 75
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon

On Apr 17, 11:24 am, "cindys" wrote:

I'm not a vet, but I am a doctor.


cool deal.

Can I ask what is your field of practice?

I'm just curios. That was nice of you to translate for jmc.

  #9  
Old April 17th 07, 05:17 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
cybercat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,212
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon


"jmc" wrote in message
...
Suddenly, without warning, body sweat exclaimed (17-Apr-07 7:28 PM):
On Apr 17, 5:51 am, jmc wrote:
I've gotten copies of Meep's records to give to the new vet. Can
someone please translate this to layman's terms (any actual vets in
here)? All I was told at the time is that she had some small amount of
cardiomyopathy (or I may misremember).

"Echo shows mild Mitral regurg and aortic insufficiency. LV wall on
brink of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look
normal. Fractional shortening WNL."

She's a spayed dsh, at the time she was just shy of 10 years.

This was a year ago, nearly exactly. I'm trying to figure out if she
should get another echo to trach the status of whatever they found.
She's always been a quiet kitty, so it's possible I think that any heart
issues she's had from the beginning. Can that be told from this tho?

Thanks for any translation.

jmc


I'm a vet.

What you need...
let's see...

The answer to your question is.. certainly!

Looks like she's got air IN the heart. It can be fatal.. and it can be
no big deal.
It CAN work it's way out... a vet could have put the air there through
any iv's or shots etc.

::sigh:: I knew this was going to happen. Fortunately I do know enough
to recognize hot air.


It took me a lot longer than it took you, unfortunately.

I know that hypertrophy is enlargment and LV is left ventricle.
Mitral regurgitation is a heart murmer in the mitral valve. (It is called
that because the valve looks like a bishop's miter/hat.) Aortic
insufficiency is something wrong with the aorta, the big blood
vessel that feeds the heart--is it like "hardening of the arteries?"

It sounds like Meep has mild heart disease, or just the beginning
of it.

When this happens at my vet I stop him and ask. Or call after
I get home to get an explanation.


  #10  
Old April 17th 07, 05:25 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
cybercat
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,212
Default Question for someone who knows vet jargon


"cindys" wrote:
----------------
I'm not a vet, but I am a doctor. (I'm also not a cardiologist), but
here's your translation:

"Echocardiogram shows mild mitral regurgitation and aortic insufficiency.
Left ventrical wall on
brink of hypertrophy (5.9mm, normal 6mm). Otherwise all chambers look
normal. Fractional shortening within normal limits."

The heart is composed of four chambers, a left atrium, left ventricle,
right atrium, and right ventricle. The aorta is the major artery (has
thick muscle walls) of the body through which blood flows from the left
ventricle to other organs in the body. On each side of the heart, the
atrium is on top and the ventricle is on the bottom and blood is pumped
from the atrium through the ventricle.

Between each atrium and ventricle is a valve, which is supposed to close
everytime the heart contracts to prevent the blood from backflowing
("regurgitating") from the ventricle back into the atrium. The aorta also
has a valve to prevent backflow of blood from the aorta back into the left
ventricle. Sometimes, these valves develop a little problem in that they
don't close completely (i.e. become "insufficient"), and there is a small
amount of backflow of blood. The result is that the heart has to work
harder to pump the same amount of blood. Any time the heart has to work
harder, the heart itself (which is a giant muscle) responds by increasing
in size (hypertrophy). Cardiomyopathy is a generic medical word meaning
disease of heart muscle. "Fractional shortening" is the difference in size
of the heart between when it's full of blood and when it's squeezed.

In a human, the condition you describe above can be mild or severe. If
mild, the doctor will generally tell the patient not to worry and go on
with his life. The patient may notice that he tires more easily. When it's
severe, a cardiologist would probably want to do open-heart surgery and
replace the leaky valve. I've never heard of this type of procedure being
done on a cat, but at any rate, it sounds like your kitty's situation is
mild and not severe.

My thought is that you should keep an eye on the situation, maybe have the
echocardiogram repeated in a couple of years, but that you probably don't
have any reason to worry at this time.

But, please consult a veterinian. I am not a veterinarian nor am I a
cardiologist. What I have stated above is only my own understanding and
opinion.
Good luck.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.



You rock, Cindy. That was fabulous. When my doctor thought I had mitral
valve regurgitation, he said, over time your heart might enlarge,
but otherwise you will probably be fine. (This is a very common condition,
one in three people have it I think he said? I was trying to get out of PE
100, because in order to graduate college they were going to make me run
three miles in 30 minutes! He would not let me out of it, and I completed
the course successfully --at age 32--and found I really like running and
weight training.) The really interesting thing to me, is that nobody has
ever
heard that "murmur" again. One doctor said, "maybe his instrument was
just really sensitive. ??



 




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