Can
you mend
a broken
heart?
Would
you know
what to
look for
if your
pet had
heart
failure?
Fortunately
heart
attacks
are very
rare in
dogs and
cats, but
sadly
heart
disease is
very
common,
especially
in aging
pets. It
is one of
those
hidden
problems
that
slowly
creeps up
on them,
often
simply put
down to
old age.
But the
sooner
heart
problems
are
detected,
the
greater
chance
there is
of doing
something
about
it.
In
most dogs,
heart
disease is
caused by
either
valve
problems
or heart
muscle
disease.
Cats too
have heart
muscle
disease,
and less
commonly
valve
problems,
but
sometimes
their
heart
condition
may be
secondary
to another
problem –
an
overactive
thyroid
gland
causing an
excessively
fast heart
rate.
Sadly some
breeds are
more prone
to heart
disease
than
others –
in
particular
Cavaliers,
Boxers,
Dobermans
and Great
Danes, as
well as
several
oriental
cat
breeds.
And
in both
dogs and
cats,
Heartworm
can cause
heart
failure.
These are
large
worms that
physically
live in
the heart
and
multiply,
growing to
a size
where they
cause
blockages.
They are
spread by
mosquitoes
which
transfer
the
microscope
stage of
Heartworm,
and
throughout
Australia
it is
essential
to have
your dog
on
year-round
heartworm
prevention.
An annual
injection
is the
most
popular
and
convenient
prevention,
or you can
use
monthly
tablets or
drops on
the skin.
Daily
tablets
are still
available
but are
very
out-dated
and not
recommended.
If your
dog has
not been
on any
Heartworm
prevention,
it is
important
that they
have a
Heartworm
test
before
starting
any
prevention.
And
although
treatment
is
available
it is
risky and
very
expensive
–
prevention
is
definitely
better
than cure.
Interestingly
Heartworm
is far
less
common in
cats, but
is also
even
harder to
diagnose
and treat.
Therefore,
while not
essential,
it is wise
to have
your cat
protected
against
Heartworm
and the
most
practical
is to use
a monthly
flea
product
that also
protects
against
Heartworm.
In
the
initial
stages of
heart
disease
you may
not see
any
obvious
signs.
This is
one reason
why an
annual
health
check with
your vet
is so
important.
Consider
that one
human year
is
approximately
7 dog or
cat years;
it’s like
us only
seeing a
doctor
once every
7 years!!!
As with
humans, we
use a
stethoscope,
x-rays,
ultrasound
and ECG’s
to
diagnose
heart
conditions.
Symptoms
you may
notice
include
tiredness,
weakness,
decreased
appetite
and a
reduced
ability or
interest
to
exercise.
More
severe
symptoms
include
excessive
panting,
coughing
and
breathing
difficulties,
and
particularly
serious
signs
include
fainting
episodes
and water
retention
eg swollen
abdomen.
If left
untreated,
these
symptoms
will
become
worse,
shortening
your pet’s
life. Many
of these
symptoms
can be
difficult
to
recognise
in cats
and cats
may simply
become
less
active and
have a
reduced
appetite.
Fortunately,
once
correctly
diagnosed,
there are
many
different
treatments
available.
As heart
conditions
can rarely
be cured,
treatment
is usually
lifelong
and needs
to be
continually
reviewed.
As the
disease
progresses
the
treatment
may need
to be
modified.
Treatment
is a
combination
of
exercise
adjustments,
a special
diet and
medications.
Many cases
will only
require
one
medication
but
sometimes
combinations
are
necessary,
each
fulfilling
a certain
role. With
treatment,
pets can
continue
to have a
good
quality of
life and
the
progression
of heart
failure
slowed.
Research
shows
convincingly
that pets
on heart
medication
life
significantly
longer
than those
without
treatment.
While
you can’t
always
prevent
heart
disease,
keeping
your pet
lean and
fit can
reduce the
strain on
their
heart –
there’s a
saying
“Love him
like a
friend,
but please
feed him
like a
dog”!
Early
detection
with a vet
is
paramount
- if you
notice any
of the
signs,
especially
a cough,
lack of
appetite,
breathlessness
or
fatigue,
then
please
book in
with us
for a
heart
check.
Your mate
will thank
you with
all their
heart!
Through
appropriate
treatment
and
management,
pets with
heart
disease
can still
lead a
very happy
and long
life.