What is heart failure?
Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem in dogs and cats. According to the Morris Animal Foundation heart failure is the second cause of death in dogs and the third in cats. Although the term heart failure sounds scary, it simply means that the heart is not pumping as efficiently as it should. It is important to recognize that not all pets with a heart murmur are in heart failure. The severity of HF depends on how much pumping capacity the heart has lost. Because there is less blood reaching the different organs, the body tries to make up for it. In so doing:
The body has an amazing ability to compensate for a decreasing heart pumping function. It may do such a good job that you may not realize that your pet has a cardiac disease for a long time. However, at some point the body is no longer able to keep up with the progressing condition, and fluids start to accumulate. Build up of fluids in the body due to HF is called congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF is usually associated with symptoms like decreased activity and/or difficulty breathing.
HF is associated with a decreased quality of life and decrease survival, but current treatment can slow the progression of the disease and help your pet to live better and longer. HF is a chronic condition, not a terminal disease, and it can be manage for a long time.
What causes heart failure?
Any damage to the heart can lead to HF. The most common causes of HF in the dog are:
The most common causes of HF in cats are:
What are the symptoms a pet with heart failure shows?
Symptoms of HF appear when the pump function of the heart is significantly decreased. In the early stage your pet may:
As HF progresses, fluid starts to build up in the lungs and in the rest of the body. This may cause:
Sometimes these symptoms appear suddenly. In this case you need to take your beloved to an emergency clinic as soon as possible.
How is heart failure diagnosed?
Your veterinarian can suspect the presence of a heart disease based on symptoms presented by your pet and based on a physical exam. But to properly assess the severity of HF and provide the right treatment your beloved will need some tests. These tests may include:
Results from these tests help determine if the symptoms are really due to HF, which heart disease is affecting your pet and establish a treatment plan.
How is heart failure treated?
HF treatments can significantly improve the quality of life and survival of your pet. Treatment of HF is based on the adoption of several medications. Most dogs and cats affected by HF need two or more medications. The aims of these drugs are:
It is really important that you give the medications to your pet exactly as the veterinary cardiologist tells to you. If you don’t do so, your pet may not benefit significantly from the treatment or HF could worsen at a faster pace then when proper treatment recommendations are followed.
Treatment of HF is also based on non-pharmacological measures, which include:
What should you expect if your beloved has heart failure?
A comprehensive treatment strategy (medicines and not-pharmacological measures) can slow the progression of HF, help maintain a reasonable quality of life and prolong survival. However HF unavoidably worsens over time.
Heart failure can worsen suddenly and you should be able to understand the need for seeking immediate veterinary care:
It is highly recommended that you seek immediate veterinary care if any of these signs appear.