Is my dog at risk for heart disease?

Is my dog at risk for heart disease?

PetDelux
Learn How to Keep Their Heart Healthy!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป

There is no single cause for heart disease in dogs. Old age, obesity, breed, and nutrition can all have an impact.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸปWhich breeds are more susceptible to heart disease?

Common heart diseases in dogs include:
โ‘  ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฟ ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ (๐—–๐—ฉ๐——)
As dogs age, the risk of developing CVD increases. Smaller breeds (under 40 pounds) and dogs over 5 years old are at a higher risk of developing CVD.
In particular, smaller breeds such as ๐—ง๐—ผ๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€, ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ธ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜€, ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€, ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐˜‡๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐——๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐˜€๐—ต๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜€, ๐—–๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ž๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜€, and other small breeds are more prone to CVD.

โ‘ก ๐——๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—บ๐˜†๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ต๐˜† (๐——๐—–๐— )
DCM is not very common, but it still affects about 5-10% of dogs. It primarily involves larger breeds such as Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, and Boxers.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸปWhat are the common symptoms?
๐Ÿ”นCoughing: Deep coughing, usually worsening at night or after exercise.
๐Ÿ”น Dyspnea: Short of breath or even experiences difficulty breathing easily.
๐Ÿ”น Reduced stamina: Reduced physical and activity levels.
๐Ÿ”น Fainting: Sudden fainting or shock may occur in late-stage heart disease.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸปWhat tests can be done if my dog has the above symptoms?
๐Ÿ”นAuscultation: When heart disease is suspected, a veterinarian will first use auscultation to rule out serious problems.
๐Ÿ”นChest X-ray: X-rays can be used to evaluate heart size, shape, and respiratory status. If the heart appears enlarged and there is evidence of pulmonary edema, heart disease is highly suspected.
๐Ÿ”นEchocardiography and electrocardiography: These two tests can determine which part of the heart is affected, such as the valves, myocardium, chambers, or blood vessels.