All About Magazine - Issue 17

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They say diamonds are a girls best friend
But those girls just didn’t have a dog!
WithValentinesDay and all things hearts approaching,
we thought it a great opportunity to talk about
heart health in our dogs. Signs of heart problems
can be subtle and are something we try to
rule out during routine examinations
at vaccination time. Its a common
scenario that when listening to your
dogs heart using a stethoscope we
might notice an abnormal sound
called a heart murmur.
What is a heart murmur?
When the heart beats, the blood is
kept moving in the right direction
by the actions of 2 sets of 2 valves.
It is the closing of these valves that
causes the classic heart beat “lub dub”
sound. When one of these valves isn’t
working properly, it becomes leaky, allowing some
blood to flow backwards.
Some heart murmurs are caused by abnormally
developed valves and are present in puppies. Others
are acquired later in life. Breeds such as Cavalier
Kind Charles Spaniels, Fox Terriers, Boston Terriers,
Chihuahuas, Schnauzers and Poodles are genetically
predisposed to developing disease.
My dog has a heart murmur, what does this mean?
The leaky valves and inefficient flow of blood means
that circulation is impaired. The circulatory system
can compensate for this for a time by making some
changes. However, eventually the disease progresses
past what the heart can cope with and it might
start to fail. The poor circulation might leave your
dog weak and unwilling to exercise. Fluid can build
up either in the abdomen, or on the lungs causing
breathing problems.
The extra hard working heart gets larger in size and
this can cause your dog to cough. Fainting and
collapse happens when the heart cannot pump
enough oxygen carrying blood to the brain.
When a murmur is first found, the vet
assesses your dog to see if they think
the heart is coping.
We will need your input, tomonitor
your dogs energy levels and
watching for subtle changes in
breathing rate. If we feel we need
to know more about the murmur,
more tests may be required.
These might include: Xrays, to
assess heart size and look for fluid
on the lungs Echocardiogram, a special
ultrasound scan that can identify the problem
valve and assess blood flow and heart shape and size
Electrocardiogram or ECG to assess heart rhythm and
Blood tests, to identify other problems and check if
certain medications are suitable.
What can we do?
While the heart is coping, we might not start any
medical treatment. Working together to monitor your
dog closely we canmake treatment plans that suit you
and your dog at every stage.
Medical treatments can help your dogs heart function
much better and alleviate clinical signs, so they can
concentrate on being themselves again.
Identifying heart problems is another example of why
regular check ups are important, early recognition
means we can keep a close eye on your dog, making
sure we can keep them fit and healthy longer.
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
42 FEBRUARY 2016