Heart Murmur In Cats Grade 2. In addition, a murmur is described by the stage of the heartbeat when the murmur is heard. Grade 1 is the mildest as it can hardly be heard.;
A level 1 murmur is a subtle sound, while a 6 is so loud you can actually feel the murmur with your bare hand. Grade 2 occurs mostly in specific areas of the heart and is pretty faint.; Many times a kitten is under stress when taken to a vet and this can cause an intermittent heart murmur.
The vet will base their diagnosis on this grade, as well as the murmurs' duration, when they occur in the heart cycle, and the cat’s age.
If, however, the murmur is associated with structural heart disease, your cat may display signs of congestive heart failure such as coughing, weakness, or exercise intolerance. Meanwhile, another cat with a grade 5 murmur may have minimal heart abnormalities that would never cause any clinical signs or warrant any kind of heart treatment. A louder murmur indicates more turbulence, however it is important to understand that the grade of the heart murmur does not indicate the severity of the condition. Once the murmur, and it's cause, are confirmed, you'll be able to better decide on treatment options.