Content
- What is a dog heart attack?
- Causes of heart attack in dogs
- Dog heart attack symptoms
- Diagnosis of heart attack in dogs
- What to do in case of heart attack in dogs?
- Dog heart attack treatment
Heart attacks in dogs occur infrequently. The organs that are affected in this species are the brain, to a greater extent, and sporadically the kidneys. A demonstrated curiosity is that dogs are able to reduce the risk of myocardial infarction in humans, since reduce your risk factors (high blood pressure, cholesterol, stress, etc.).
As we will see below, a heart attack in dogs is not very much linked to the heart but to the brain. Continue reading this PeritoAnimal article to learn more about dog heart attack, its symptoms and what to do in case of a heart attack.
What is a dog heart attack?
A heart attack is produced by lack of blood supply to an organ, which leads to ischemia of the affected area. This lack of irrigation can occur by:
- ischemic ictus: obstruction of blood flow due to an embolus;
- hemorrhagic ictus: blood vessel rupture.
Depending on the extent and severity of the injury, functionality may be partially or fully recovered. In this article we will talk about heart attack or stroke in dogs, which is more prevalent in the canine population.
The brain has a high demand for oxygen, so its blood flow is very high compared to other organs and tissues. This indicates that for a heart attack to occur, it is not necessary to completely stop the blood flow, so the stop can be partial or total and regional or generalized.
Causes of heart attack in dogs
Any underlying disease that can cause emboli or alter blood flow and vascular walls can cause a heart attack in a dog:
- Infectious diseases: in which the focus of infection generates septic emboli that migrate to other tissues. An example is endocarditis (infection of the heart valves). Infectious diseases can also cause clotting disorders.
- primary tumor: or metastasis of this tumor can cause emboli or alter blood flow (clotting). To learn more about dog tumors check out this article.
- parasites: parasite migration or parasite emboli. An example is heartworm or heartworm.
- Coagulation: Congenital disorders related to coagulation.
- vascular parasites: like Angiostrongylus vasorum.
- systemic diseases: those that cause systemic hypertension, such as hyperadrenocorticism and renal failure.
- metabolic diseases: that cause atherosclerosis (loss of flexibility of vascular walls), such as diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, etc.
Dog heart attack symptoms
The symptoms of cerebral infarction in dogs can be observed from the acute neurological deficit, focal and asymmetric according to the location that was affected. If the injury is severe and generates abundant edema, neurological signs may progress for 2-3 days:
- Seizures;
- Lack of coordination;
- loss of balance;
- Head-pressing (supporting the head on a surface);
- Partial or complete paresis of the extremities;
- Proprioception deficit (postural reaction);
- Hyperthermia;
- Vestibular dysfunction (head tilt);
- Walking in circles and walking around;
- Nystagmus (eye movements);
- Death (if the heart attack is very severe, death can occur suddenly).
To learn more about seizures in dogs, the causes, treatments and what to do, check out this article by PeritoAnimal as this is one of the most characteristic symptoms of cerebral infarction in dogs.
Diagnosis of heart attack in dogs
The first study to be carried out is a complete neurological exploration, to try to locate the lesion by examining the cranial and peripheral nerves.
The definitive diagnosis of infarction in a dog is performed using advanced imaging exams, such as MRI and computed tomography.
In addition, when this condition is suspected, examinations should be performed in accordance with the veterinarian's suspicions about the underlying diseases that caused the heart attack, the following diagnostic tests:
- Blood tests (complete blood count and biochemistry);
- Blood pressure measurement;
- Urine analysis;
- Rule out infectious diseases, especially parasitic ones;
- Endocrine tests;
- Discard neoplasms using chest and abdominal radiographs, abdominal ultrasound.
It is not always easy to find a quality professional, for this, PeritoAnimal has created an article with some crucial information that will help you choose a good veterinarian, check it out.
What to do in case of heart attack in dogs?
By the time you notice the symptoms we've described, the recommended is go to the vet to begin diagnostic tests. The prognosis in dogs is better than in humans, due to their anatomy.
Most dogs with cardiovascular accidents recover with supportive treatment, that is, a symptomatic and specific treatment, if the primary cause is identified (causes we've already discussed in the corresponding section).
Dog heart attack treatment
Among the symptomatic treatments are the following:
- Maintenance of cerebral perfusion;
- Treatment of seizures;
- Reduction of intracranial pressure;
- Maintenance of systemic pressure;
- Keep the dog in a stress-free and peaceful environment.
It is very important to prevent it through periodic veterinary checks, a balanced diet, frequent exercise and stimulation, in addition to periodic antiparasitic control. All of this leads to a reduction in the risk of a dog die of a heart attack as well as the risk of various other diseases. If, unfortunately, you have lost your furry companion and are wondering how to know if the dog has died of a heart attack, you should consider the symptoms mentioned above as well as the diagnosis made by the veterinarian.
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.
If you want to read more articles similar to Dog heart attack: symptoms and what to do, we recommend that you enter our Other health problems section.