Heart Disease and Failure

Around 15% of dogs in the UK are affected by heart disease and the initial signs can often go unnoticed.

The three most common signs of heart failure in dogs are lack of energy, loss of appetite and coughing, especially at night.  Owners may not necessarily associate these symptoms with heart disease.

The common heart diseases suffered by dogs often lead to heart failure.  Dogs will generally suffer what is called Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), a relatively slow worsening of symptoms.  However, there have been major advances in veterinary medicine over the years and the outlook for a dog with heart failure is often not as gloomy as it once was.

Disease usually starts to affect one part of the heart and goes on to damage other parts.  Disease can be acquired (more common) or congenital (less common).

Acquired Disease

Acquired heart diseases are those that a dog acquire during its lifetime, usually as a result of normal wear and tear, infection or injury.  Acquire heart disease accounts for 95% of all heart disease seen in dogs and usually appears after they reach middle age.

The earlier heart disease is diagnosed the better.  Usually a dog will not show any obvious symptoms until the condition is irreversible.

Congenital Disease

Congenital defects are those that have been present since birth and are comparatively rare.   Congenital defects will usually cause the blood flow through the heart to become turbulent, making a distinctive whooshing noise that vets can hear using a stethoscope – this is what is meant by a “heart murmur”.  If your dog is diagnosed with heart murmur however, it is not necessarily cause for concern.  Sometimes puppies are born with a slight heart murmur which clears up by itself after 4-6 months.  A later checkup is advisable to ensure the condition has resolved itself.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Your vet may recommend all or any of the tests we can now do to help decide on the best treatment for your dog – listening to the heart with a stethoscope, blood and urine tests, x-rays of the heart and lungs, and ECG (electrical trace of the heartbeat) and ultrasonography (a real-time picture of how the heart is functioning).

Heart failure is rarely a sudden cessation of the heart’s function, but a slow process which affects almost every part of the body.  Unlike the underlying disease, heart failure can often be managed with medication that improve and extend the dog’s life.
A special exercise regime for your dog will also be very important.