Dog Disease - Cardiac Dog Disease

For dog lovers the health and well being of their pet is most important, and their awareness of dog diseases prevalent in the animal kingdom helps them keep their pets safe and healthy. The health of any dog depends on many things, the most important being a healthy living environment, an active lifestyle and a proper healthy diet. Lack of exercise or an unhealthy diet can lead to many a dog disease, the most common of them being dog diseases related to the heart. Cardiac diseases in dogs are quite similar to these diseases in humans and are quite common in dogs. It is said that almost 11% of all dogs around the world are affected by one form or the other of cardiac disease, if the disease is diagnosed early and proper treatment is provided to the dog in a timely manner your dog can live a full and healthy life.

Although there are several types of dog heart disease that can affect your dog the 3 most common types are:
  • Congenial birth defects, these types of cardiac defects are detected when your dog is still a little puppy, usually these are pre-existing heart problems from birth.
  • Degenerative valve disease or heart valve leaks, this condition mostly affects older and middle-aged dogs.
  • Loss of heart muscle tissue; this problem is typically detected in young dogs or some of the larger breeds in their middle-age.
Symptoms of Heart Disease in a dog:
Dogs are intelligent animals but they still can not communicate their problems like humans can, when they are suffering they will show signs of an illness or discomfort. It is the responsibility of a dog owner to keep an eye on the health of their pet and be aware of any changes the following symptoms in your dog will indicate a heart problem.
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Coughing
  • Intolerance to exercise
  • A swollen abdomen which is usually caused by water retention in the body
Detection and Diagnosis of Heart Disease in a Dog
If you notice these symptoms in your pet consult a vet to be sure that all is well the vet will be in a position to determine if something is wrong with your pet. A veterinary can detect a heart murmur simply by using a stethoscope on the pet. For further testing your veterinary will have to monitor blood pressure, do a chest x-ray, run an EKG test, and for a definitive diagnosis an ultrasound of your pet's heart will be done.

Treatment of Heart Disease
Any type of cardiac problem in your dog should be taken seriously. If your dog is diagnosed with cardiac dog disease your dog will most likely be put on long term medication to treat its condition properly and effectively. In the early stages of diagnosis of cardiac problems you and your pet will have to regularly visit the vet for checkups and any update to medication, once the condition of your dog is stabilized with treatment you can resume your regular checkup schedule. This treatment will make your dog feel better and live longer and minimize unexpected problems that might arise if the condition is not treated properly. Proper care will enable your dog to live a long healthy life.

Here is a list of all the Dog Diseases featured on the Dog Disease Site
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Dog Disease Diabetes
Dog Disease Distemper
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Dog Lymphoma Disease
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Dog Pancreatitis Disease
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Heart Disease in Dogs
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