Nepal pictures, history, people, facts

Jean, Don't say ECG - it will be interpreted as Electrocardiogram!  Say ECHO or Ultrasounds, ok?  ECGs are great for documenting arrhythmias and conduction disturbances but they can't differentiate the different forms of cardiomyopathy or distinguish cardiomyopathy from hyperthyroidism.  Some cats with HCM can have a normal ECG - so an ECG won't be much use.  Remember *Ultrasounds* or *ECHO*.  OK? Good luck. Phil

ECG is the procedure of choice for documenting arrhythmias and conduction disturbances but can not differentiate different forms of cardiomyopathy or distinguish cardiomyopathy from hyperthyroidism.  Cats with HCM may have a normal ECG.  Don't waste your time or money on an electrocardiogram.  Spot needs ultrasounds. Phil, I spent many many months studying how different cardiomyopathies appear in ECGs.  A skilled doctor can tell a lot about the condition of the heart from the appearance of the ECG.  Since it records the polarization/depolarization of cardiac cells, anything that alters the muscle mass will show up in it.  I am, of course, talking about a full ECG, not just the familiar lead II one that people think of. Now, having said that, I will admit that not all cardiomyopathies will be detected by ECGs.  A septal defect would be hard to detect, unless it affected the electrical pathways between the atria and ventricles. Still, several heart problems can be diagnosed with an ECG, and it is a fairly inexpensive and non-traumatic way of doing an initial diagnosis for many heart problems. Disclaimer:  My information is _base_d off of ECGs in humans.  But it seems like you should be able to read cats in the same way, since we are talking about a simple electro-physical measurement. Rebecca

needs ultrasounds. Phil, I spent many many months studying how different cardiomyopathies appear in ECGs.  A skilled doctor can tell a lot about the condition of the heart from the appearance of the ECG.  Since it records the polarization/depolarization of cardiac cells, anything that alters the muscle mass will show up in it.  I am, of course, talking about a full ECG, not just the familiar lead II one that people think of. Now, having said that, I will admit that not all cardiomyopathies will be detected by ECGs.  A septal defect would be hard to detect, unless it affected the electrical pathways between the atria and ventricles. Electrocardiography may be *normal* or may show  atrial or ventricular enlargement patterns in cats with Dilated Cardiomyopathy. If it did show atrial or ventricular enlargement patterns, how would ECG distinguish atrial or ventricular enlargement patterns found in Restricted Cardiomyopathy from those found in Dilated Cardiomyopathy?  How would ECG distinguish HCM from Hyperthyroidism, if cats with HCM can have a normal ECG?  ...Just curious.  Atrial premature complexes and ventricular premature complexes are *occasionally* seen in cats with HCM. ECHO can be performed on awake cats (my favorite). I don't see a reason for subjecting an already stressed cat to the stress of x-rays, which usually  lead to ECG, which ultimately lead to ECHO, for a difinitive diagnosis.   Echocardiography is the diagnostic modality of choice. Phil.

ECHO can be performed on awake cats (my favorite). I don't see a reason for subjecting an already stressed cat to the stress of x-rays, which usually  lead to ECG, which ultimately lead to ECHO, for a difinitive diagnosis.   Echocardiography is the diagnostic modality of choice. Phil. I can see possibly skipping the xrays, but ECGs are cheaper, and easy to do, and I think a lot more vets are likely to have them and be able to read them than have echo.  Echocardiography is not easy to interpret unless you are good at it.  I can, with only a minimal amount of brushing up on my old notes, look at an ECG and determine if there is an abnormality, and what the most likely cause is in the heart... the underlying diagnosis takes more skill, but that is why vets and docs go to school as long as they do! However, my main point is that an ECG is a wealth of information about the state of the heart, if you know how to read it.  It is an excellent diagnostic tool for cardiac problems. Rebecca