Canine Congestive Heart Failure - What to Do

Canine congestive heart failure is a condition that is the result of an abnormality in the function and construction of the the walls and chambers of the heart. There are two primary types in which this disorder shows itself in. If the heart chamber walls are thickened, the ability to pump blood is reduced and blood flow is also decreased. On the other hand, your dog’s heart becomes bigger when the walls are stretched thin; also causing decrease in the effectivity of the organ to pump sufficient blood.

While the dog’s heart may, for a while, work harder to make up for the decrease in function; eventually it will weaken considerably - enough to cause canine heart failure. Symptoms of heart failure include a bluish tongue, increased drooling and a grayish color around the mouth, labored breathing, coughing more than usual and becoming easily tired. Unfortunately when these signs manifest, the ailment is usually in its latter stages.

A competent vet may confirm findings of cardiovascular abnormailities or an enlarged heart throught the recommended chest x-rays and ultrasound. It is important that you do this because if you misdiagnose the dog’s condition, administering incorrect drugs can prove to be fatal. Verify the report and take the essential steps that can help prolong your pet’s life.

Feeding your dog a healthy diet will go a long way toward keeping your dog’s heart healthy. This includes lean meat and vegetables like pumpkin, beets, zucchini, yams and carrots. Mix the vegetable and meat together and chop it into small pieces that your dog can easily eat.

Additional supplements Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin E, L-Carnitine, Taurine and Omega-3 fatty acids should be included in the dog’s food intakemeals. Research have shown that the right amount of these nutrients have many times, decreased mortality rates and significantly improved cardiac health.

If your dog is diagnosed with a heart problem, he are likely to be prescribed medications that will constrict the blood vessels so that the blood will flow more smoothly. Diuretics also help in developing blood flow. It flushes out excess fluids in some of the canine’s organs; this also helps in the management of canine heart murmur.

Dog heart murmurs are sometimes found during a puppy’s formative years. If you have your puppy checked earlier, the doctor would have been able to identify it easily. Instead of short, quick throbbing; the animal’s heartbeats will resound with softer and longer thumps in his chest. Heart murmurs are sometimes caused by anemia and inborn cardiac abnormalities, but there are therapies that will help this condition not to become worse than it can be.

Other than a nutritional diet and regular exercise, herbal and homeopathic tonics are said to fight the degenerative effects of canine heart murmur. Kalium phosphate, calcium fluoride and arnica montana are other effective ingredients that aid in promoting the general health of the dog’s blood pressure and cardiovascular system.

Canine congestive heart failure is an unfortunate fact of life some dog owners will be faced with. No pet owner wishes that on any person of course but make a choice to not let this sickness rule your dog’s life. Prolong the life of your dog and make it as easy as you can for him - if health is derived from happiness and love, then aim to give your pet its best health every single day of its life.

Leave a Reply