Signs Of Heart Disease In Dogs

Taking care of your pet’s health is essential in order to guarantee an appropriate quality of life, therefore learning to detect different pathologies from home will be vital in this case.

We show you some signs of heart disease in dogs,  so you can learn what symptoms you should pay attention to.

Heart problems are one of the main causes of death in pets, and what makes these kinds of problems so fatal is that they are generally not detected in time, therefore, by the time the obvious signs of disease appear , this one has advanced too much.

What makes its detection difficult is that the initial symptoms do not usually appear as alarm symptoms, therefore it is very difficult to identify them from other types of pathologies.

However, there are some things to keep in mind :

Differences between large and small dogs

Something that many pet sitters ignore is that the size of the dog has a large impact on the development of heart conditions.

For example, smaller dogs tend to develop damage or deformation of the heart valves, while in large dogs the problem is being able to pump enough blood throughout the dog’s body.

In the case of small dogs, the bacteria present in the mouths of the dogs end up affecting the heart valves, which are in charge of controlling the inflow and outflow of blood during cardiac pumping.

This condition is called valve insufficiency and, if left untreated, it can be fatal, so you should pay attention to infections in the mouth, as this is usually the origin of the disease.

In the case of large dogs, due to the weakening of the organ as a result of aging, it becomes difficult to pump the amount of blood that the body requires to keep the organs, muscles and others working properly.

Likewise, in giant breed dogs, the heart is so large that the valves cannot touch, therefore a so-called dilated cardiomyopathy is generated.

Warning signs

Heart failure causes deficiencies in the transport of oxygen and nutrients that are necessary for the proper functioning of the dog’s body. Pay attention to the following symptoms:

Fatigue

A dog that becomes excessively fatigued after doing some kind of physical activity, for example, running, playing or walking, without having exercised too much, is a sign of risk, as it can mean that the dog’s body is not being adequately oxygenated .

Constant cough

Because the heart struggles to pump the amount of blood necessary to maintain a normal blood supply, respiratory problems can occur, initially evidenced by a dry and constant cough.

Gasps

Taking into account the above, respiratory failures will generate irregular inhalations, which will increase their rhythm as the insufficiency becomes more severe. In the most severe cases, fainting may occur.

Taking a dog’s pulse at home

Because the dog’s heart is working poorly, it will increase the pulsation to compensate for the lower oxygen arrival in the body. A good way to detect conditions in the heart organ early is by taking the heart rate.

On average, a small or mini-size dog (less than 13 kilos) should have between 100 and 160 beats per minute.

For medium and large animals the pulsations will be reduced to between 60 and 100 pulsations in the same interval.

With this in mind, have your dog lie on his side and remain relaxed. Place your fingers (except the thumb) in the middle of the upper thigh, close to the chest, and count the pulsations you feel for 15 seconds. Then multiply the number by four and this will give you the number of beats it has per minute.

Make sure to follow up for several days to make sure the count has been adequate. In case you have measurements lower or higher than those indicated according to the weight of your pet, it is best to take it to the vet immediately.

Remember not to medicate your dog with medicines for humans, you can cause more discomfort than relief and generate an adverse reaction. Before providing any type of treatment, it is best to consult your veterinarian.