What causes heart failure

Heart disease can occur at any age. However, chronic heart disease becomes more common with advancing age. When your dog starts to age and becomes less active, you may consider having his heart checked.

The heart is a four-chambered pump whose role is to receive blood that needs oxygen and pump it into the lungs, where carbon dioxide is exchanged for oxygen. Then the heart pumps the oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.

Heart failure is a condition in which a heart, weakened by disease, cannot receive and pump blood adequately to meet the needs of the body. As a result, blood starts to pool, fluids build up (congestion) and causes coughing, weakness and breathing difficulties, which may result in death.

What causes heart failure?

There are many causes of heart failure. However, among the most common are:

Acquired heart disease (e.g. chronic disease of the heart valves)

Congenital heart disease

Acquired heart disease in older, small breeds of dogs usually involves degeneration of the valves which results in leakage and loss of pumping efficiency of the heart. There are some breeds which are very at risk such as Maltese, miniature and Toy Poodles, Pomeranians and Yorkshire Terriers.

In large breeds of dogs, such as Doberman, Great Danes, Boxers and Labrador Retrievers the disease usually involves a weakness in the heart muscle and is typically found in middle-aged male dogs.

Both conditions result in an increased workload on the heart, which gradually enlarges in size as the heart muscle stretches in an effort to pump more blood. As efficiency drops, fluid begins to build-up in the lungs
and/or abdomen. Dogs of any size can become affected by heart disease.

Congenital heart disease occurs more rarely and results from birth defects of the heart muscle and/or valves.

Physical examination - with careful exam-ination including listening to the heart and lungs with the stethoscope, your vet can detect heart murmurs, irregular beats, weak pulse, and the presence of congestion in the chest or abdomen.

What are the warning signs?

Rapid or difficult breathing
Cough (especially when the dog rises in the morning)
Tires easily, puffs and pants more
Appetite loss
Weight Loss
Pot-bellied appearance
Pale or grey/blue gums

These signs may be caused by other factors, not just heart failure. Be sure to have your dog checked by a veterinarian if you notice these changes.

How does the veterinarian determine the existence and cause of heart failure?

Electrocardiogram (ECG) - this simple test detects irregular and abnormal heart beats, called arrhythmia, and provides information that helps the veterinarian determine the type of treatment needed.

Chest X-ray - evaluates the size and shape of the heart, lungs and blood vessels. Heart en-largement and fluid congestion in the lungs can be detected and helps to make a correct diagnosis and an assessment of the severity of the condition.

Echocardiogram - this test uses sound waves to harmlessly examine the inside of the heart and blood vessels. It can also detect how strongly the heart beats, show abnormalities which cause heart murmurs, cancer and congenital birth defects.

What can be done if my dog has heart failure?

Exercise: may have to be limited to below the level that provokes signs of discomfort ­ fatigue, laboured breathing, or coughing.

Diet: Together with drug therapy, a change in diet is essential to help maintain heart function. Restricted salt content helps prevent excessive blood pressure, one of the dangerous effects of heart disease. Added Taurine and L-carnitine also helps to improve heart muscle contraction, thereby improving blood flow. All the above requirements are met in Hill№s® Prescription Diet® h/d®, a therapeutic pet food which is also low in protein and phosphorous to help the kidneys function at a time when they are under stress due to lack of blood flow.

Excess weight can exacerbate heart disease, so keep your pet№s weight under control by feeding correctly.

Drug therapy: Most heart conditions have traditionally been controlled by drug treatments that remove congestion (fluid build up), control irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia), or improve the action of the heart muscle (contraction). The latest advance in the treatment of heart failure in dogs is a drug that actually intervenes in the compensatory processes that the body instigates when the heart cannot adequately receive the pumped blood. These processes are initially beneficial to the dog. However in a chronically ill dog, the process eventually perpetuates the cycle of heart failure.

What can I do now?

Talk to your vet:

If your dog exhibits any of the signs indicating underlying heart disease, such as difficulty in breathing, chronic coughing, lethargy and appetite or weight loss, you should consult your veterinarian