Knowing your pet’s heart condition
Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2006
Willie and Whiskers may appear healthy on the outside, but the condition of their hearts might be another story.
Heart disease can be as devastating for animals as it can be for humans, and many of the same type of heart problems that affect people can also affect your pet, says Dr. Alice Blue-McLendon, a veterinarian in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University.
Dogs are usually more prone to heart disease than cats, but any animal can develop heart problems, Blue-McLendon says. Many heart problems are congenital, meaning the animal was born with the condition.
Signs to look for, she says: Coughing, shortness of breath, decreased appetite, excessive weakness and little or no desire to exercise. "Animals with heart disease may resist running or trotting during a brisk walk,"Blue-McLendon explains.
In large breed dogs, one of the most common problems is dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. "The heart muscle becomes dilated, resulting in a reduced output of blood and eventually congestive heart failure,"Blue-McLendon notes. "Fluid may build up in the abdomen, and the dog may have a bloated appearance."Breeds especially prone to the ailment include boxers and Doberman Pinschers.
There are drugs available that can help treat the disease, she says.
In cats, HCM, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, often occurs when the walls of the heart muscles become thick and stiffen. "The heart chambers don’t work right,"says Blue-McLendon," and heart failure can result."
Cats can also develop enlarged hearts, a condition often caused by hyperthyroidism. To detect this and other heart ailments, veterinarians often use X-rays or ultrasound tests. As with humans, an electrocardiogram, or EKG, can be used to pinpoint certain heart problems in dogs and cats.
One of the most troublesome of all heart problems: heartworms.
Heartworms occur when a mosquito bites a heartworm-infected animal, then bites another non-infected dog or cat. Worms several inches long grow inside the heart muscle and will cause illness and death if left untreated, Blue-McLendon says. "Heartworm conditions are very, very prevalent and in Texas, it’s often not a case of if your dog will get them, but when,"she notes. "The disease is very common along the Gulf Coast and warmer areas where mosquitoes are often found."
Medications are available from a veterinarian to treat heartworms.
Another heart ailment, Chagas disease, is also caused by a parasite and causes cardiac abnormalities, but can usually be successfully treated with drugs, Blue-McLendon adds. The animal may be left with lasting heart damage just as with heart heartworm disease. Certain heart problems may require surgery. "Heart surgery can be very expensive and the age of the animal is always a consideration,"she says. As with humans, pacemakers can be installed in animals to help regulate heart beats. "There have been exciting new advances in the last 10 years in animal heart care,"Blue-McLendon confirms. "Radiology, injecting dye into arteries to determine blockage, new medicines — all of these have helped tremendously in treating heart problems."Pets that do have heart trouble may need modifications in their daily routine, but they often can still have a reasonable life span."
• • • Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University. For more information, please contact Keith Randall at (979) 845-4644 or kr@univrel. tamu. edu. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm. tamu. edu.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
