Explaining heart disease
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Talk about their pet’s disease
- Explain that heart disease and heart failure should not be confused with heart attacks experienced by people
- Explain that congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs is, in most cases, a relatively slowly progressive disease
What to say about acquired heart diseases:
- Usually a result of normal wear and tear
- Often, the earlier heart disease is diagnosed, the better the condition can be managed
- With the latest drug therapy, the dog may be able to live a comfortable and relatively normal life for some considerable time to come
Simple definitions
- Chronic valvular disease (also called mitral valve disease or endocardiosis) – when the valves within the heart degenerate with age and start to leak. A common disease that usually progresses very slowly
- Dilated cardiomyopathy – when the heart muscle itself weakens, causing the heart to enlarge and fail to pump blood around the body effectively. This disease can, unfortunately, progress quickly in certain breeds
- Pericardial disease – when the protective sac that surrounds the heart fills with fluid, preventing it from pumping efficiently
- Arrhythmias – a failure of the electrical system that tells the heart when to beat. Can cause episodes of collapse or fainting
What to say about congenital heart diseases:
- A heart problem that the dog has had from birth
- It may or may not have been genetically inherited from the dog's parents
Simple definitions
- Patent ductus arteriosis – the blood vessel used to bypass the lungs of puppies, as they develop in the womb, fails to close after birth
- Pulmonic stenosis – the flow of blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs is hampered or blocked by a narrowing in part of the heart
- Aortic stenosis – the flow of blood from the left side of the heart to the body is hampered or blocked by a narrowing in part of the heart
- Hole in the heart – a hole between the pumping chambers of the heart
Talk about treatment
- Explain that heart failure can often be managed with drugs that improve and extend the dog's life
- A combination of drugs is needed to control the signs of heart disease and give the best quality of life and survival. Make sure the owner understands how to administer each treatment that has been prescribed (e.g. dose, frequency, with or without food)
- Make it clear that a diagnosis of heart disease will mean lifelong treatment that pet owners must adhere to if they want to help their pets get the most out of life
Explaining the drugs
- ACE inhibitors reduce the workload on the heart, making it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body, and protect the heart muscle from damage caused by the hormones released when a dog is in heart failure
- Diuretics are used to remove excess fluid from the body, particularly from the lungs
- Inodilators directly stimulate the heart muscle to contract more strongly and help the heart to pump blood around the body
- Anti-arrhythmic drugs or digoxin may be used to control the heart rate and/or treat rhythm abnormalities
Talk about diet
- Stress the importance of not giving salty foods to the dog, even in small quantities; especially foods prepared for human consumption, such as sausages
- Explain that this is because salt encourages fluid retention, which increases the workload on the heart and causes even more fluid to build up in the lungs, which can be life threatening
- Recommend an appropriate diet and encourage the owner to monitor body weight as, in later stages of the disease, weight loss may become a concern
Talk about exercise
- Explain that, once drug therapy has started to work, the dog should return to normal or near-normal exercise, as it is important to promote good circulation and exercise the heart
- Recommend an appropriate exercise regime. Make sure they understand the importance of such a regime and that sudden increases in exercise should be avoided
- Inform them of the risks of overheating and that exercise may need to be moderated in hot weather