Dear Vets: My 14-year-old dog Spot was recently diagnosed with heart failure. Does this mean that he could have a heart attack? Is there anything I can do to make him feel better?
Congestive Heart Failure is a term that refers to the heart’s inability to pump adequate blood to the body. There are many causes of CHF in dogs. The most common cause is a condition called mitral valve insufficiency.
This is seen a lot in older dogs (especially small ones) and can severely affect their quality of life. Clinical signs vary depending on which side of the heart is affected however; the most common symptoms are decreased stamina, coughing or difficulty breathing.
To explain this condition, lets first review the anatomy of the heart. The heart is like pump that has four sections or chambers. The upper chambers are called atria (singular: atrium) and the lower chambers are called ventricles. The heart is also divided into right and left sides. Each side of the heart has a one-way valve to keep blood from going backward from the ventricles to the atria. The valve between the left atrium and left ventricle is called the mitral valve. Because of the high pressure created when the left ventricle contracts, the mitral valve will begin to leak or wear out in many dogs. This is known as mitral valve insufficiency.
The earliest sign of a leaking mitral valve is a heart murmur.
This is produced by the turbulence created when some of the blood goes backward through the leaking valve into the left atrium.
A heart murmur does not mean that heart failure is imminent. But as time goes on, the leak becomes more severe and more and more blood flows backwards. This results in reduced pumping efficiency and, eventually, congestive heart failure.
When the heart is not properly pumping blood, the blood moves more slowly through the lungs.
This results in small amounts of fluid leaking out of the capillaries into the air passageways. This fluid collection produces the earliest signs of heart failure: gagging, hacking cough, and lack of stamina.
As with any heart problem, diagnosis involves several tests:
1. Auscultation or listening to the heart with a stethoscope is the first step in diagnosing heart disease.
2. Chest X-rays are then used to determine the size and shape of the heart and the presence of fluid in the lungs.
3. An electrocardiogram will also be run. This measures the electrical activity of the heart and allows accurate determination of both heart rate and rhythm. Any abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias or dysrhythmias) can be detected and evaluated.
4. Ultrasound examination (echocardiogram) utilizes sound waves to evaluate the heart’s contractions and to measure the amount of blood pumped by the heart.
Accurate diagnosis gives us a much better guide to the type and extent of treatment necessary.
Today there is a wide selection of drugs that can be used to treat congestive heart failure and treatment regimes have to be tailored for each patient.
Without these tests, we are unlikely to provide the best care for your pet loved one and may inadvertently cause more harm than good. With correct treatment, many dogs are able to live a normal life for months to years. ?
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