Congestive Heart Failure & Arrythmia in Dogs
Veterinarians often diagnose congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia in dogs simultaneously when an animal presents at the clinic with specific symptoms. At this point, it becomes important for caregivers to understand what is happening in their dog's body and what they can do to make their pet more comfortable.
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Types And Symptoms
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Like their human counterparts, dogs have a four-chambered heart consisting of two atria on top and two ventricles on the bottom. Congestive heart failure refers to the dysfunction of the heart muscle in providing enough blood and oxygen to other bodily tissues. Right-sided heart failure may leave the animal with an enlarged liver and spleen, as well as fluid accumulation in the cardiac sac, lungs, in the abdominal cavity and under the skin. Dogs with left-sided heart disease will show clinical signs of early morning or late-night coughing, fainting, difficulty breathing, fluid in the lungs and heart arrhythmias. Cardiac arrhythmias are irregularities of the normal heart rhythm, either in frequency or loudness, and almost always in both.
Causes
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The causes of congestive heart failure in dogs vary but may include such disparate origins as genetics, heartworm infestation, drug toxicities, inflammation and enlargement of the heart muscle, and infection of the pericardial sac. Almost all of these usually result in what is called a "mitral" or valvular insufficiency, where the valves of the heart become too weakened and thin to allow sufficient blood flow from one chamber of the heart to another. When this pumping action becomes impaired, the normal electrical impulses in the body that account for a regular heartbeat get interrupted, and the pumping becomes arrhythmic, sometimes slowing down and sometimes missing a beat entirely.
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Diagnosis And Treatment
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Heart disease and cardiac arrhythmias in dogs requires skilled veterinary care and electronic instrumentation to determine the proper diagnosis and treatment. A veterinarian will need a complete health history and may often recommend chest x-rays and an electrocardiogram. He may perform a chest ultrasound to locate any heart valve disorders. Fluid accumulation in the chest or abdominal cavity may be drawn out using a needle and syringe, particularly if the animal is in respiratory distress. Dogs are often placed on diuretics such as furosemide to increase urine output and decrease body fluids. Other drug treatments may include digoxin and/or enalapril to regulate heart rhythm and increase heart function. Your vet may also recommend a diet restricted in sodium with owners instructed to decrease exercise and not let the animal become too excited.
Considerations
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While heart disease is mainly a disease of older, male, large or giant breed dogs, it is possible for any dog to be diagnosed with the problem due to genetics or cardiac infection. Prevalent in such breeds as Dobermans, boxers, Afghan hounds, Newfoundlands, Irish wolfhounds, and St. Bernards, congestive heart failure has been seen in American and English cocker spaniels, although it is not usual in dogs weighing less than 25 lbs.
Warning
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Congestive heart failure in dogs is not curable--at most, treatment and care is palliative, designed to increase the life span and make the animal more comfortable by decreasing fluid accumulation and increasing cardiac output. Quality of life is usually the motivating factor of treatment in owners and veterinary professionals alike.
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