September 1st, 2009 Enlarged Heart in Dog
An enlarged heart – dog – should be cause for substantial concern, as it would be with all types of dog heart disease. If your dog has an enlarged heart, then you may opt for a good quality supplement instead of or as well as veterinary prescibed dog heart medicine. Of course, before you would even consider that, you must discuss this with your veterinarian.
What other types of canine heart disease should you be aware of?
If your dog has a heart murmur, what this indicates is that there is abnormal blood flow within your dog’s heart. This can be caused by a change in the heart valves and their function, or a number of other potential causes. Dog heart murmur symptoms could be caused by an abnormal communication between the left side and the right side of the heart. There are a number of things that may cause this, as they may be congenital or present from birth, or acquired which means the heart was affected after birth because of age or disease. There are two types of heart murmurs in dogs, benign murmurs which do not concern the health of the dog, and much more serious heart murmurs which may indicate the development of canine congestive heart failure.
Dog heart murmur symptoms often include coughing, poor exercise ability, bluish tinge to the gums or tongue, labored breathing and even fainting. While some of these symptoms can be linked to other health issues, and the symptoms are the same between benign heart murmur or the more severe forms, you should consult a veterinarian any time you have a concern about your dog’s health. Some of these symptoms can be easily missed. If you have any suspicion that your dog may be suffering from issues relating to a heart murmur, canine heart disease or the development of canine congestive heart failure, contact a veterinarian without delay for an official diagnosis.
Whatever you do, do not ignore such symptoms. The best way to identify the source and severity of the dog’s heart murmur is to conduct a thorough physical examination by a veterinarian, although occaionally additional testing is required such as a heart ultrasound, blood testing, an EKG and chest x-rays. An ultrasound offers a particularly enticing list of benefits as it allows the vet to measure the extent of a murmur, defining whatever the cause of the underlying heart disease may be. It is vital that you be able to properly diagnose the cause of your dog’s heart condition because some conditions that cause heart murmurs are treatable, either through surgery or through medication.
If your dog has been diagnosed with canine congestive heart failure, specific types of dog heart medicine may be necessary because although non congenital heart murmurs can sometimes be treated surgically, they are often indicative of congestive heart failure in dogs. You cannot be sure about which treatment is going to be the right path to proceed with until you have consulted your vet and been given advice regarding the health of your dog. Always get your dog diagnosed if you suspect any type of dog heart disease because canine congestive heart failure, dog heart murmurs, and other types of dog heart failure and canine heart disease are serious issues.
Make sure your vet is a person who you feel comfortable with. If you are not confident with a diagnosis from your general veterinarian, consider seeking out an opinion from a veterinary cardiologist or internist, as these specialized veterinarians have special training and expertise in enlarged dog heart problems, and in treating canine congestive heart failure and similar problems.