Is heart disease in dogs treatable? Get Your Pet Thinking

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Diagnosing Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs

If you have concerns about your dog and heart disease, it’s best to reach out to a pet cardiologist near you to get a clear diagnosis and treatment plan. CVCA has several locations in Maryland, Kentucky, Texas, Oregon, and Virginia. Give us a call, and we will set up one or all of the following:

  • Physical exam – including listening to the heart and lungs, checking your dog’s blood pressure and maybe a blood test.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG) – to measure electrical activity of your dog’s heart to find heart rhythm problems.
  • Echocardiogram – ultrasound by a board-certified vet cardiologist to view your dog’s heart in great detail. This test is the gold standard for diagnosing heart disease in dogs.

    • Your vet may also recommend supplements. Dogs with congestive heart failure may benefit from vitamin B supplements, taurine (an amino acid that supports brain development), or carnitine (an amino acid that helps turn fat into energy). Antioxidants like Coenzyme Q and vitamin E may also help.

    Causes of Heart Disease

    Heart disease often develops later in a dogs life, but certain heart problems can be present from birth. Heart disease that develops over time is a result of one or several of the following causes:

  • Heartworm infection from mosquitoes
  • Genetics
  • Bacterial, viral, or protozoal infection
  • Nutrient deficiencies (carnitine and taurine specifically affect heart health)
  • Toxins
  • Various medications
  • Tumors

    • Dogs that have congenital heart disease can develop it in utero from one or more of the following causes:

  • Genetics
  • Medications taken by the pregnant mother
  • Environmental factors
  • Infection
  • Poisoning
  • Poor nutrition

    • Since heart disease can easily go unnoticed, early stages may only be detected by your veterinarian. A full physical examination will be performed and your dogs breed, history, and any symptoms you are seeing or hearing at home will be taken into consideration.

    A stethoscope will be used to listen to your dogs heart and determine if a murmur or abnormal rhythm is present. If heart disease is suspected, chest x-rays, blood tests (including a heartworm test), and an echocardiogram (ECG)may be recommended.

    Once heart disease is diagnosed, a treatment plan specific to the type of heart disease your dog has will be discussed. Heartworm disease is a curable form of heart disease, but it requires strong medications to kill the heartworms inside your dog. The treatment program is lengthy and can be very taxing for a dog.

    Aside from tumors, which may be surgically removed, most types of heart disease usually require life-long monitoring and medications.

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