The Truth About Dogs and Heart Disease

Dogs are known as "man's best friend" for good reason. They are loyal, protective, and always happy to see their owners come home. But did you know that dogs can also suffer from heart disease? In this blog post, we will discuss the signs of heart disease in dogs, how to prevent it, and how to treat it if your dog does develop a problem.

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What is Canine Heart Disease?

Canine heart disease occurs when there is a problem with the structure or function of the heart. This can be caused by an infection, an underlying medical condition, or even genetics. It can affect both puppies and older dogs, so it's important to know what signs to look for in your pet.

What are the Symptoms of Canine Heart Disease?

The most common symptom of canine heart disease is a decrease in energy level and exercise tolerance. Other symptoms include coughing, difficulty breathing, fatigue, fainting spells, collapse, and an enlarged abdomen due to fluid buildup. If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, it's important to take them to the vet right away for a full examination.

How to Prevent Canine Heart Disease

The best way to prevent canine heart disease is to make sure your dog gets regular exercise and a balanced diet. Also, make sure they receive all of their necessary vaccinations, as some forms of heart disease are caused by viruses. Finally, it's important to have your dog examined regularly by the vet in order to identify any potential problems early on.

How is Canine Heart Disease Treated?

If your dog has been diagnosed with canine heart disease, there are several treatment options available. These include medications such as diuretics or ACE inhibitors which can reduce fluid buildup around the heart, surgically implanted pacemakers for cases of arrhythmia, and lifestyle modifications such as restricted exercise or a special diet. Oxygen for dogs with congestive heart failure is also recommended. Your vet will help you decide which treatment is best for your dog's condition. For example, some medications have side effects, so it's important to discuss these with your vet.

How to Give Them Extra Care

When your dog has been diagnosed with a heart condition, it's important to give them extra care and attention. This may include more frequent trips to the vet for checkups and monitoring, as well as an adjustment in their activity level. Additionally, be sure to keep them away from stressful situations, provide plenty of comfortable places for rest, and give them lots of love and affection. For example, you can try playing with their favorite toy or taking them on more leisurely walks.

It's important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of canine heart disease, so you can take swift action if necessary. With proper care and treatment, your dog can still live a happy, healthy life. So don't worry about having a best friend who is suffering from heart disease - just make sure to get them the help they need!

Healthy Pets, Happy Owners

Your best friend is loyal, loving and always has your back, so it makes sense that you want to take the very best care of him that you can. Naturally, you give him all the best quality food he needs and exercise him regularly, not to mention all the cuddles he gets but when it comes to his medical needs, what can you do to keep him in tip-top condition?

Like finding a doctor, sometimes finding the right vet can require a little research and patience. There are vets who definitely prefer one type of animal over another and when you’re spending out good money on treatments you want a professional who knows your dog’s needs inside and out.

Here’s what you can do to make sure you’re getting the best healthcare for your best furry friend:

Take A Trip

When you book your first appointment with the vet make sure you take a good look at the facilities. 

How clean and well kept is the waiting area? Are there any obvious hazards or signs that it’s not well cared for or cleaned regularly?

Make sure you get a sense if the reception staff are well organised and seem on top of signing in new patients.

When you talk to the vet about your dog, do they seem interested and friendly? Look for a rapport that you can build on and monitor how friendly and genuine they are with you pet. It might seem inconsequential, but do they talk to your dog in friendly terms and actively seek to reassure them or just get on with the job at hand?

Go with your gut feeling and if you don’t feel comfortable with the vet, ask to change or seek out a new practice.

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Insurance

Unless you want to take the risk, you’ll probably want to insure your pet so make sure the practice you register your pet at accepts your insurance provider.

If you don’t have dog insurance then shop around for the best deals and find out how much it’s going to cost to protect your pet. The older the dog, the steeper the premiums are likely to be so it’s worth covering them as puppies with a lifetime plan. As your dog ages and trips to the vet become more frequent, you’ll be glad you opted to keep up your monthly premiums.

Your best friend is so much more than just a pet, they’re who you come home to after a long day at work and who you can rely on to always be there to cheer you up or make you laugh with their antics. 

Pay them back for their unswerving loyalty with healthcare tailored just for them. A friendly vet who makes the process of a visit that much easier and a practice that takes care of its guests properly.

Take out insurance that helps ease the financial burden of vet bills and enjoy the immense privilege and fun of being a dog owner.

Spotting the Signs: How to Know if Your Dog is Ill

They say that dogs are man’s best friend, and this is certainly the case. They are so much like humans in every possible way, and they can also contract disease and viruses as well. If your dog is acting a bit strange or if you suspect that there is something wrong with them but you don’t quite know what then there are some things that you can look out for.

Loss of appetite

If your dog always licks their bowl clean then you know that loss of appetite is a clear sign that something is not right. If you try and give them a treat or a biscuit and they don’t snatch it out of your hands then this is another sign. 

The main thing that you can do here is try and figure out if you have done anything to bring this on- for example, have you changed their food? Has the manufacturer of that food changed their formula? Things like this can really make a huge difference. Try and feed them another brand of food and see if that makes any difference.

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Lameness

Another sign that something might be wrong is if your dog is lame or if they seem to be under some kind of strain. This could be down to arthritis or it could be a sign that there is a problem developing. One thing that you can do here is check over your dog’s legs to see if there are any signs of injury and to also see how they react when you handle their leg as well. Ingrown claws can cause a ton of problems, so you really need to make sure that you get this treated if possible.

Lumps
Dogs will take the occasional knock when they are out and about, and they will usually get better in a day or two. If you see any lumps that aren’t getting smaller after a day or two then it may be worth you getting them checked out at the vets. This is one of the best ways for you to keep your dog safe and to also make sure that it is nothing serious.

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Bad Breath

It’s important to know that bad breath in dogs can be a sign of gum disease, and this can make them feel a bit under the weather. When your dog has gum disease, you may find that they are sluggish, that they don’t want to eat and that they also don’t want you going near to their mouth. The best way for you to try and prevent this from happening would be for you to give them dental sticks or to even try and brush their teeth with a pet-friendly toothpaste. This will help the gum disease that is already present and it will also help you to stop things like this from happening again as well.

So there are plenty of things that you can do to try and make sure that your pet is healthy, and by looking out for the above signs, you can be sure to prevent or treat any illness before it progresses into something more serious.