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When Dogs get Heart Disease
By: Tippy


Heart disease or disorders can be present when the dog is
born, or may be acquired more often during middle age. There
are two different common types of heart disease that can
affect your dog.

One type affects the valves of the heart, making them unable
to close properly and so causing an abnormal flow of blood.
The other type of heart disease in dogs causes the muscles
of the heart to thin and weaken. Both of these conditions
are serious and usually cause eventual heart failure.

Heart failure occurs when the heart can no longer operate
well enough to pump blood to vital centers, which causes the
heart to work harder trying to do so and so causing further
heart damage.

There really are no early signs of heart disease. The best
way to catch heart disease in your dog is to have regular
checkups with your veterinarian. That most often will catch
abnormalities.





Dogs that have a mild case of heart disease will exhibit
symptoms such as:

- coughing
- Difficulty breathing
- Heart enlargement
- Lethargy

A severe case of heart disease has symptoms like the above
plus fainting, profound intolerance to exercise, loss of
weight and loss of appetite.

Heart disease is often treatable if caught early enough.
Follow any recommendations that your veterinarian makes
after a diagnosis of heart disease in your dog. This way
your dog has a better chance of living a longer fuller life.


One of the primary factors that contribute to heart disease
in canines is obesity. To prevent heart disease in your dog
be sure to feed your dog a healthy, balanced diet and give
it moderate amounts of exercise every day.

 

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