Can stress cause heart failure in dogs? A Comprehensive Guide

What Are Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs?

There are several symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure in dogs. By keeping them in mind, you can speak to your vet about their presence in your dog and move forward with further diagnostics if required.

Coughing: If your dog is coughing and wheezing, it could point to a variety of conditions that also include CHF. This occurs due to pulmonary edema or fluid buildup in the lungs.

Difficulty breathing: This symptom also appears due to pulmonary edema. In CHF, the lack of oxygen is associated with left-sided congestive heart failure.

Exercise intolerance: In some CHF cases, your dog does not have the stamina for even light to moderate exercise. In case your pup pants after physical activity, you should have them checked by your vet.

Fainting: In left-sided CHF, lack of oxygen can cause your dog to faint out of nowhere or after physical activity. Since this symptom is worrisome by itself, a vet consultation is recommended.

Low heart rate: When your dog’s heart is not working to its optimal capacity, their heart rate may reduce. If it falls to dangerous levels, it is a cause for alarm and may also relate to a set of other conditions.

Low blood pressure: Low blood pressure occurs when your dog’s heart is not pumping blood at a required rate through the cardiovascular system. This could often coexist with a low heart rate.

Heavy breathing: If your dog has pulmonary edema, it could also cause rapid breathing. This is most often noticed in left-sided CHF.

Swollen stomach: A swollen stomach is a sign of fluid buildup that may result from right-sided CHF. While the symptom may have many other causes, its onset with the relation of other CHF signs is highly alarming.1

Since the set of symptoms for CHF may relate to a variety of other conditions and diseases, you should keep an eye on your dog to determine if they are going through any of these challenges. If your dog seems to have any issues that are associated with CHF, you should reach out to a skilled vet right away.

Sometimes, indicators of other conditions such as signs of anxiety in dogs can be mistaken for CHF. Getting a professional opinion lets you steer clear of these confusing diagnoses. Due to this reason, you should not compromise on reaching out to a vet.

Oxidative Stress and Heart Failure

In the organism, free radicals (O2°, OH°, H2O2…) are produced permanently via cellular metabolism. In physiological conditions, antioxidant enzymes (super oxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase…) regulate this phenomenon. However, when a large amount of free radicals is produced, these enzymes are overloaded, and free radicals induce major cellular damages: this is oxidative stress.

Can stress cause heart failure in dogs?

Heart failure caused by pressure overload occurs as a result of long-term increases in stress to the heart wall during contraction. This may result from the obstruction of blood flow from the heart or increased blood pressure throughout the body or in the arteries of the lungs.

Congestive Heart Failure & Enlarged Heart in Dogs

While canine heart attacks (medical term – myocardial infarction) are rare in the UK, they can occur in dogs of any breed. Sadly in some parts of the USA they are reporting an increase in serious canine heart attacks. This is thought to be due to the increasing amounts of fast food and fatty food consumed by US pets, a reduction in the amount of exercise they take and an increase in pet obesity. Frighteningly many of these pets are also showing an increase in diabetes and atherosclerosis.