Content
- Heart Problems in Dogs and Cats
- What do they cause?
- Heart murmur in dogs and cats
- Symptoms of heart disease in dogs and cats
- How to Detect and Prevent Heart Disease in Dogs and Cats
We often hear about heart disease in people. Surely someone close has already had some kind of heart disease, whether familiar or not. But what about animals, do they also develop this type of disease? The answer is yes.
Every animal has in its thorax that famous organ, responsible for everyone's attention: the heart. This organ's main function is to pump blood throughout the body, as it is through the blood that all substances such as nutrients, metabolic waste, substances in general and especially gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported. It is not difficult to point out that this is a vital organ, of fundamental importance for the correct functioning of the entire organism. However, just like in humans, it can also present diseases in our pet friends.
Veterinary cardiology is getting stronger every day.Technological advances, as well as accessibility to new methods of diagnosis and treatment, are responsible for a great advance in small animal cardiology. Every day there are more specialized centers, as well as an increase in the number of professionals trained for this purpose. Without a doubt, it is an area with a promising future in our country.
PeritoAnimal prepared this article about the main heart disease in dogs and cats.
Heart Problems in Dogs and Cats
What are heart diseases?
Also called heart disease, these diseases are pathological changes that occur in the heart. They can have different causes, as well as different forms of manifestations in animals. They can also be classified in different ways, such as severity, form of evolution and anatomical location. Another important point is that they can occur either in the heart muscle itself (cardiomyopathies), in the heart valves (valvulopathies) or in the arteries that supply the heart (coronary diseases).
What do they cause?
Heart diseases are changes that require special attention from both the tutor and the veterinarian. As it is a vital organ, any alteration can lead to serious complications, including death. The complications of these illnesses are usually reflected in various parts of the body, leading to varied disorders, both mild and severe. Whenever there is a problem with this pump, the blood circulates with difficulty and this implies a series of occurrences, which turn into a “snowball” effect.
Among the main heart diseases in small animals the Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is among the most serious and that occur more frequently in pets. It is a condition where the heart is insufficient to do its job, which is pumping blood. Thus, blood tends to accumulate in blood vessels where it should have a normal flow, this accumulation of blood leads to the formation of edema which is an accumulation of fluid in regions of the body. When this condition occurs in the lungs, animals present symptoms such as coughing and easy tiredness, another very common sign of this disease is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites or popularly "water belly") and edema in the hind limbs (legs) .
Heart murmur in dogs and cats
At valvulopathies, also known as “blow” are, together with CHF, very common diseases in dogs and cats. It is an anatomical failure in the valves, leading to a lack of control over the passage of blood through them, which consequently causes reflexes in the heart itself and in other organs. Valvulopathies can also be one of the causes of heart failure.
Small dogs like yorkshire, poodle, pinscher and maltese have a natural predisposition to develop endocardiosis, which is a syndrome that reflects major complications to the heart. On the other hand, larger breeds such as boxer, labrador, doberman, rottweiler and Great Dane, can be affected more easily by the dilated cardiomyopathy, which is another condition with major negative effects on the heart.
Dogs that live near the sea can be affected by dirophiliasis, which is a worm transmitted by the bite of a mosquito and which concentrates in the heart, making it difficult for the blood to pass and function.
Our pussy friends also have a great tendency to develop heart disease throughout their lives. An important observation in relation to felines is that in these animals, cardiac diseases occur silently, being usually detected in a very advanced condition.
Symptoms of heart disease in dogs and cats
the main signs of cardiovascular disease in dogs and cats are:
- Dyspnea: difficulty breathing
- continuous cough
- Apathy
- Abdomen or leg edema
- easy tiredness
Read our full article on heart disease symptoms in dogs.
How to Detect and Prevent Heart Disease in Dogs and Cats
THE periodic evaluation by a veterinarian it is essential for diagnosis and treatment at the beginning of the disease. It is worth noting that regardless of the presentation or not of signs of heart disease, routine control of your pet is essential. Mainly in animals with advanced age that have a greater tendency to manifest this type of disease.
Another important point in prevention is nutrition and exercise. Animals that consume human food, with excess salt and fat or that eat too much are strong candidates to have some type of heart disease throughout their lives. The sedentary lifestyle that has become common in pets due to the routine of their owners, is also one of the major causes of heart disease. Therefore, avoiding it is a simple and effective way of prevention.
THE prevention is always the best medicine to your best friend.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.