Cats who suffered burns and smoke inhalation in recent California wildfires also had a high incidence of heart problems, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The study represents the first published research to come from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on feline victims of California wildfires and was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Researchers studied 51 cats referred for treatment after the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa and the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise. Echocardiograms, or heart ultrasounds, found the cats had significant cardiovascular effects, including a much higher incidence of heart muscle thickening and blood clot formation.

“What was most surprising to us was the vast number of cats that were affected and the severity of their condition,” said lead author Catherine Gunther-Harrington, assistant professor of clinical cardiology at UC Davis VMTH.

The study found more than half of the cats had heart muscle thickening and close to 30 percent had blood clots or were found to be at high risk of developing blood clots. If cats develop blood clots, they are also at high risk of sudden death. Six of the cats in the study died or were euthanized due to cardiac issues during the course of their care, but 82 percent survived and were discharged.

Read the full article here: https://www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/are-cats-canary-coal-mine-wildfire-effects-human-health