Symptoms of Heart Disease in Dogs

You may not know your dog has heart disease until symptoms appear or there is an unexpected, unexplained death. Although there are different types of canine heart disease, the symptoms are similar for all types.

Significance

A diagnosis of heart disease in dogs often offers a poor prognosis and a much shortened life span to the animal. Treatment may only alleviate some of the symptoms, not the disease.

Types

Types of heart disease in dogs include: congestive heart failure, where either or both left and right sides of the heart stop working; heartworm disease, in which worms invade the heart valves through the blood after transmission from a mosquito bite; and cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle itself becomes enlarged and unable to work as efficiently.

Symptoms

Symptoms of all types of heart disease include coughing (or respiratory distress), fluid retention, faster or slower heart rate, weakness, lethargy and weight loss.

Warning

Dogs may often not show any signs of heart disease until they collapse and die. Regular visits with your veterinarian, who may recommend a heartworm preventative. Electrocardiogram testing on senior dogs is recommended.

Prevention/Solution

The best way to prevent non-congenital heart disease in dogs is to keep them on a well-balanced diet, maintain a regular weight and offer regular, moderate exercise. The symptoms of heart disease can often be lowered with medication, but once diagnosed, the disease itself is almost always fatal.

Resources

• American Veterinary Medical Association: canine heart disease