Disorder - Patent ductus arteriosus

Organ Systems Involved
Cardiovascular

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Ventricular septal defect; Dysplasia of the mitral and/or tricuspid valves; Atrial septal defect; Aortic and pulmonic stenosis; Tetralogy of Fallot; Patent foramen ovale; Persistent right aortic arch

Alternative Names
PDA

Presenting Signs

Patent ductus artiosus (PDA) describes failure of the ductus arteriosus, a foetal blood vessel, to close within the first few days or weeks following birth. The ductus arteriosus is a small blood vessel that bypasses blood away from the lungs during development in the uterus. This is because the foetus does not breathe, but receives oxygenated blood directly from the mother. It normally closes shortly after birth to allow blood to pass to the lungs.

PDA can be diagnosed at times varying from one month to five years of age depending on the type of PDA present. There are two types of PDA. The classic 'left-to-right' shunt causes blood to flood the lungs causing illness in fairly young kittens. The ‘right-to-left’ shunt is more commonly seen in older animals. In this type of PDA there is inadequate blood flow to the back half of the body, which causes weakness.

Affected cats and kittens may have a history of tiredness and/or laboured breathing after physical exertion. Owners often report that they sleep a lot and sometimes they can feel a buzzing in the cats’ chest when they lift it. They often appear stunted for their age and thinner than their litter mates.

Cats at Risk

PDA is not very common in cats, it occurs in less than one per cent of cats with congenital heart defects. There are not sufficient numbers of cases to provide evidence for breed or sex predisposition in the cat. Studies have shown that dogs are more likely to have a PDA.

Breeds Affected
Siamese


Treatment

Surgical correction

PubMed References
Patent ductus arteriosus

Contributor
Jana Leshinsky