Congestive Heart Failure In Pet Animals

Congestive Heart Failure in Pets and Companion Animals
Pets can suffer from both acute and chronic heart disease just like their human companions can. Heart disease can lead to congestive heart failure, a weakening of the heart that makes it impossible for it pump enough blood into the rest of the body. A surplus of fluid will then back up into a pet’s lungs and ultimately cause death. Congestive heart failure in dogs and cats has many causes and many symptoms. It can come on quickly in some cases or appear gradually over time.
With the right understanding of what symptoms to look out for and how to protect your dog or cat, you can hopefully catch the symptoms in time to get medical attention for your pet or companion animal. In many cases, depending on the underlying condition, congestive heart failure can be avoided and its symptoms stopped, even reversed. Here’s what you need to know about this potentially fatal condition:

Signs and Effects of Congestive Heart Failure in Pets
In dogs the signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure can include coughing more than usual, especially during or after exercise, having trouble breathing during exercise, pacing and having a hard time settling down when it’s time to sleep, fainting spells due to poor circulation to the brain, swelling in the belly and abdomen due to excessive fluid buildup, tiring easily, blue gums, and weight loss or the inability to put on weight.
Cats may show no symptoms in the early stages of the condition. Eventually they may show signs of congestive heart failure including rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, blue or gray tongue or gums, lack of appetite, apathy or lethargy, muscle weakness, paralysis of their hind limbs, or just a general collapse.
Causes
In dogs, congestive heart failure can be caused by injury, infection, old age, poor diet, lack of exercise, congenital birth defects, obesity, and heartworms. In cats, the condition is often caused by a thickening of the walls of the heart. It can also be caused by hypertension or high blood pressure, defects in the heart walls or heart valves, a blockage of the heart or blood clots, heart rhythm issues, hyperthyroidism, fluid build up in the sac around the heart, heartworms, tumors, pregnancy, and anemia. The condition typically strikes middle-aged and older cats and affects a disproportionate number of Main Coon cats due to genetic factors.
Diagnosis
Your veterinarian will take a full medical history, taking note of any symptoms you’ve observed in your animal. Typical tests include both a blood and urine test, screening for any issues or problems that might also affect your pet’s heart health. Chest X-rays, an EKG, or an ultrasound are also likely to be ordered to judge just how bad the effects of the condition are. Your vet is also likely to run a heartworm antigen test, as heartworms are a major cause of heart failure in animals.
Treatment
Depending on your vet’s diagnosis of the underlying conditions, treatment for pets with congenital heart failure can vary greatly. Various medications may be employed to regulate and improve the heartbeat and remove fluid from the lungs. Surgery may be warranted to clear a blockage. You may have to regulate the amount of activity that your pet engages in or change or supplement their diet. If the underlying cause is heartworms or a bacterial infection, medication may correct problem if it’s caught early enough.