Feline Cardiomyopathies: Phenotypes and Updates

This session provides a practical review of feline cardiomyopathies and the current ACVIM consensus guidelines for diagnosis, staging, prognosis, and treatment. Attendees will learn how to classify cardiomyopathies by echocardiographic phenotype, recognize key features of HCM, RCM, DCM, and ARVC, and distinguish primary disease from secondary causes. The presentation will highlight best practices for echocardiographic assessment, risk stratification for cardiac events, and evidence-based management strategies for all stages of cardiomyopathies. Participants will leave with a practical framework for evaluating feline cardiac patients and applying current consensus recommendations in everyday clinical practice.

• Describe the classification and echocardiographic features of hypertrophic (HCM), restrictive (RCM), dilated (DCM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular (ARVC), and nonspecific cardiomyopathy phenotypes.
• Apply current echocardiographic measurement techniques to better interpret echocardiographic measurements in cats.
• Develop evidence-based treatment plans for cats in Stages B1, B2, C, and D, according to current consensus guidelines.
• Integrate current ACVIM consensus recommendations into clinical decision-making for feline cardiology patients.