Canine Heart Disease

There are a wide variety of conditions and diseases that may affect the health of your pet’s heart. Approximately 10% of all dogs have some form of heart disease.¹ Though some dogs are born with genetic conditions, the majority of dogs with heart disease develop it throughout their life. The two principle causes of heart disease are dilated cardiomyopathy and endocardiosis.

Dilated cardiomyopathy refers to a weakened and inflamed condition of the heart. This condition prevents the heart from pumping blood efficiently which can lead to complications in other systems. This condition results from the dilation of a small portion of the heart’s muscle, the myocardium. The cause of this dilation is not always the same and it’s seldom obvious.Endocardiosis refers to condition that affects the valve’s of your dog’s heart. The condition is characterized by a chronic fibrosis, or the recurring creation of excess tissue, along the edges of the artioventicular valves. This fibrosis causes the valve’s nodes to thicken and the valve eventually begins to work improperly. After functioning improperly for some time, the valve prolapses, causing liquid to leak from the heart into the lungs.

Heart disease in dogs, despite its many forms, is generally characterized by the same set of symptoms despite their underlying cause:

If your pet exhibits a combination of these symptoms, then check with your veterinarian to see if heart disease is a likely cause of your dog’s distress. If your vet believes that heart disease might be the culprit, he will perform a complete physical exam and might call for a variety of tests, including x-rays, blood tests, blood pressure tests, and an electrocardiograph or ultrasound.

Treatment
There are multiple types of treatment available for dogs with heart disease; however, not all of them are appropriate for every pet. Many treatments will specifically cater to the disease or symptoms that your pet is experiencing. Because there is a large range of disorders and ailments that qualify as heart disease, each case should be handled with independent care. It’s important in all cases, however, to get your pet diagnosed early so that you may start treatment as soon as possible.

Medication
There are four main types of medications to improve their quality of life: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, diuretics, vasodilators, and positive inotropes. Each group of medication works to combat different symptoms and problems. For example, the ACE inhibitor lowers blood pressure by decreasing the volume of blood and the tension this blood would put on strained blood vessels and are most commonly used to improve the quality of life in patients with congenital heart disease.

Dogs that have developed heart disease often use diuretics to clear excess fluid from your dog’s system. This can be crucial in preventing serious complications such as edema. There a variety of different diuretics available including loop, thiazide and potassium-sparing to accommodate your dog’s particular health needs.

Vasodilators work to open and relax blood vessels to decrease your dog’s blood pressure. This means that the heart does not need to work as hard to pump blood and can be crucial in dogs suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy. Positive inotropes produce the inverse effect, by increasing the force used by the heart muscle to ensure the rest of the body receives the proper amount of blood.

Lifestyle
In addition to these drugs, there are a variety of therapies and diets that can help improve the condition of your dog’s heart. Dietary changes are crucial to protecting your dog’s heart. It is important to ensure that your dog’s salt intake is limited. In addition to limiting salt intake, it is important to ensure that your dog maintains optimal weight in spite of a lack of appetite which can be achieved with flavor enhancers to entice your dog to eat

Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial to dogs with heart disease and should be included in the diet of dogs that have been diagnosed with heart disease. This can be easily administered through fish oil or supplements which contain the fatty acid. Omega-3 works to treat abnormal heart rhythms and should be taken either in isolation or with vitamin E as an antioxidant.

In addition to regulating your dog’s diet it is also important that your impose restrictions on his amount of exercise. Dogs with heart problems are easily fatigued can suffer from the stress caused by excessive exercise. It is important to prevent your dog from pushing his heart to its limit in order to prevent further complications.

Prevention
Heart disease in dogs is not often caused by poor diet and lack of exercise and so preventing it is no simple matter. The best way to protect your dog from heart disease is to be aware of its earliest symptoms to begin treatment before the disease becomes more serious. Refer to the list of symptoms above and be sure to remain vigilant for signs that your dog may need medical attention.

To better protect your pet, look for the types of conditions that most commonly affect your breed of dog. This will help you be aware of the specific symptoms your dog might face when afflicted with a heart condition. In addition to watching for symptoms, it is important to take your dog to regular veterinary exams and check-ups where they will test for these symptoms and track your dog’s vital signs.

In addition to watching for symptoms, be sure that your dog leads a healthy lifestyle as well. It is important that your dog maintain a healthy body weight to stave off heart disease and other complications that come with obesity. By keeping your dog healthy and checking for health problems regularly, you can help reduce your dog's risk of developing this disease.