Disease Focus: Did You Know That Pets Too Can Suffer From Heart Disease?

You will surely be surprised to know that pets too suffer from heart disease. According to a study done by Mark Morris Institute in 1996, cardiovascular and congestive heart failure are common conditions faced by pets. Heart disease is any destructive process within the heart. It does not appear to occur as often in cats.

Your pet's heart is the most important organ in its body the heart collects blood from the body and pumps this blood to the lungs, where it picks up oxygen. Then, the oxygen-rich blood is taken from the lungs back to the heart and the heart pumps it throughout the body.

The types and prevalence of heart disease in dogs in the United States were characterized more than 30 years ago in a survey of 5,000 dogs at the University of Pennsylvania. 11% of dogs had reliable signs of heart disease and another 9% had possible heart disease. Congenital heart disease has been recognized in 0.456 to 0.895% of dogs and 0.2% of cats. It can be caused by disease or defects in the layers of the heart, the heart's conduction system or the blood vessels. Conditions that lead to heart failure may be present at birth or acquired. Advancing heart failure creates insufficient blood flow, reducing the oxygen and nutrient supply to tissues and vital organs. Decreased cardiac output results in over-retention of salt and fluid.

Signs of heart disease

Heart disease may cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs or abdominal cavity, - fluid retention in the distal end of legs. Heart disease also results in an adequate flow of blood to vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, lungs, etc.

Coughing, typically low pitched and sometimes uncontrollable to the point of ending with gagging, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, reduced exercise tolerance, noticeable weight gain or loss and abdominal distention can all be caused by heart disease. These signs suggest heart disease, but can also be produced by other diseases.

Causes of heart disease

Defects in heart valves and muscle, tumors, trauma and heartworm infestation can all cause heart disease and lead to heart failure. In dogs, a defective valve in the left side of the heart is often the cause. In cats, a heart muscle defect is the most common heart problem.

In dogs, heart disease is often progressive and may become more serious. It is possible, however, for your dog to recover from some types of heart disease, including heartworm infestation and trauma. Wherever there are mosquitoes you can usually find heartworm disease. Mosquitoes act as a host for heartworm larvae and transfer the disease from dog to dog when they bite an infected dog and later transfer the worm larvae to other dogs they bite. Adult heartworms are long and slender, often measuring up to 35 cm in length and normally living in the right side of the heart and adjacent blood vessels. These adults can damage and block blood vessels and interfere with the blood supply to the lungs.

The increased work load on the heart gradually weakens the heart muscles, reducing its effectiveness in pumping blood around the body, eventually leading to heart failure.

Most owners do not realize their pet has a problem until the disease is well advanced. It is only in the later stages, when the disease is difficult to treat, that dogs show the typical signs of advanced heartworm disease-chronic cough, listlessness, laboured breathing, fatigue and weight loss. Heartworm disease can be prevented with ‘Heartgard chewable' tablets.

In cats, the occurrence of heart disease is often sudden and requires immediate veterinary attention. One of the more recent findings is that a deficiency of taurine in the diet can result in heart disease in the cat. For this reason, it's very important that cats are fed appropriate diets. Most quality cat foods contain adequate amounts of taurine. With proper medication and dietary management, most cats with heart disease can live a relatively normal life.

Treatment for pets with heart disease?

With a few changes in lifestyle, most pets with heart problems can lead relatively normal lives. Your veterinarian may prescribe medication for your pet. If so, be sure to follow the instruction carefully. Always give your pet access to plenty of fresh water. During this time it is best not to feed him the regular food but one that is specially designed, low-salt food for heart disease. That's why your veterinarian may suggest a specially designed low-salt food such as prescription diet h/d or k/d for pets with heart disease. With proper medication and dietary management, most dogs with heart disease can live a relatively normal life.

Dietary plan

Like people, pets with heart problems benefit from foods low in salt. Hills Prescription Diet brand pet foods help lessen the workload of the heart by reducing fluid retention while supplying the balanced nutrition your pet needs. These foods also complement commonly used cardiac drugs. Depending on the severity of heart disease, your veterinarian may recommend some therapeutic foods. He or she may recommend prescription diets canine h/d or k/d for dogs and feline h/d or k/d for cats. What does h/d and k/d contain? They are specially designed veterinary pet food useful as a nutritional aid and contain lower levels of magnesium, sodium and phosphorus for a pet that has heart disease.

Take care of your pet with all your heart, and he will without a doubt, be there…. to care for yours!