Conditions of the Heart

We recently asked our Facebook following to ask us a pet-health related question so we could blog about it.

Cindy Lueders asked us, “Are there certain symptoms a dog has if he may have a heart condition?” This is a great question because while learning animal CPR is an entire section of our pet first aid and CPR online class, the reasons why (which are pretty vast) are not. We review bleeding out, which would cause heart failure and we teach you how to revive a failed heart, BUT we don’t go into the myriad of health reasons why a heart might fail. Also, what are the symptoms that can lead to it? Thankfully we have blogs which allow us to elaborate on pretty much any topic.

The most common health reasons are all forms of congenital heart disease. These include valve malformations which can cause murmurs from conditions like cardiomyopathy (ARVC) in Boxers, a breed I am most familiar with. There are also issues such as narrowing valves (stenosis), issues with opening in between the chambers of the heart called septal defects, and congestive heart failure. I have worked with dogs with pericarditis, which is an issue with the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds the heart. It can become irritated and inflexible causing the heart to have to work much harder and stress out. The list goes on, these are the most common but with any heart issue in our pets, up to and including heart worm infestation, the most common symptoms are what we need to know.

Boxers pictured wearing a holter monitor to monitor their heart for cardiomyopathy

Life With Dogs has summed up the most common symptoms the best in the list below.

·        Coughing: Coughing in dogs is a very common symptom of many illnesses, one of those being heart disease. Minor coughs will not last more than a few days. If after three days your dog is still coughing, or is experiencing other symptoms, seek veterinary care.

·        Difficulty Breathing: Difficulty breathing due to shortness of breath, labored breathing, or rapid breathing can all be signs of heart disease in dogs.

·        Changes in Behavior: If you notice behavior changes within your dog such as tiring more easily, being less playful, reluctance to exercise, reluctance to accept affection, being withdrawn, or seemingly depressed, these are all signs of heart disease.

·        Poor Appetite: Loss of appetite in dogs is almost always a symptom of something. If combined with any of the other symptoms on this list, it could be a strong indicator of heart disease.

·        Weight Loss or Gain: Weight loss is definitely a symptom of heart disease, though dog weight gain can be as well. More likely than weight gain is a bloated or distended abdomen, which can give your dog a potbellied appearance.

·        Fainting/Collapsing: If your dog faints or collapses at any time, seek veterinary help. It may be a sign of many different serious illnesses, heart disease being one of them.

·        Weakness: Weakness may be seen as a general sign of aging, but be sure to seek veterinary attention if it is combined with other symptoms.

·        Restlessness: If your dog gets restless, especially at night, it could be a sign of heart disease.

·        Edema: Edema is the swelling of body tissues. Your dog may show swelling in the abdomen and extremities if it has heart disease.

·        Isolation: If your dog suddenly starts to isolate itself, keeping its distance from other pets and/or you, this may be a sign of heart disease.

So while you will take the time to learn how to save your pet’s life by taking the Pet Health Academy’s online course, you should also take the time to make yourself aware of these symptoms. As a pet sitter I have noticed several and dealt with many. I cared for a Boston Terrier in congestive heart failure and a German Shepherd with pericarditis, but I felt comfortable knowing I could take the best care of them and help them out should their heart fail them.

Interested in getting educated about pet health?  Take our pet cpr and pet first aid class!