Heart Disease in the Dog and Cat

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

You may know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. But did you know that heart disease also occurs commonly in pets all across the country? Heart disease affects an estimated one in every ten dogs and cats. As our pets age, the number of animals affected by heart disease increases dramatically. By some estimations, greater than 30% of geriatric dogs are suffering from heart disease. Conversely, most of our pets are born without heart disease, but many will go on to develop heart disease later on in life. This is termed Acquired Cardiac Disease.

Because our pets cannot talk to us, it is often difficult to determine if our animal’s quality of life is affected by cardiac disease. In fact, it is very common for owners not to know their pet has heart disease until the disease has reached an advanced stage. The most common signs that pets with heart disease demonstrate include difficulty breathing, coughing, exercise intolerance and intermittent weakness or even collapse. These symptoms often come on suddenly and are progressive. Fortunately, there are frequent abnormalities on the physical exam that may cause your primary veterinarian to suspect your dog or cat has heart disease. By performing different diagnostic tests, a complete understanding of your pet’s heart disease can be achieved.

Diagnostic tests which often help to define the type and extent of heart disease your pet has include: electrocardiogram, chest radiograph, holter monitor/event recorder, echocardiogram, angiocardiography and MRI. Each one of these tests is unique and provides us with certain information that the other tests could not. As a result, it is common for pets with heart disease to undergo two or more of these tests when being evaluated for heart disease. An electrocardiogram is a brief recording of the electrical activity in the heart. Many animals with heart disease have abnormal electrical activity which may or may not require treatment. Chest radiographs are an x-ray of the heart and lungs. This test provides information about the size and shape of the heart as well as giving us information about the condition of the lungs. A holter monitor or event recorder is a piece of equipment worn by the pet to record long periods of the heart’s electrical activity, usually 24 hours to several days. An echocardiogram is often the most important test a cardiologist will perform. It is an ultrasound of the heart which provides vital information about the structure and function of the heart. Angiocardiography is a procedure during which a dye is injected into the heart. Similar to an x-ray, this procedure provides additional information about the structure and function of the heart. It is most frequently utilized in pets with congenital heart disease. Occasionally an MRI can provide beneficial information about the heart and its surrounding structures in ways that other imaging modalities cannot.

The exact type and extent of treatment your pet may receive depends on what their diagnosis is. In fact, not every dog or cat that is diagnosed with heart disease needs treatment. However, there are many pets with heart conditions that need treatment. The treatment each pet receives is tailored to their specific needs. For instance, there are many medications that can be given, both in the emergency setting and chronically, that will help dogs and cats with congestive heart failure. While one patient may need one or two medications to improve his quality of life and help him live a longer life, another animal with a similar condition may require six or seven medications to achieve the same goal. Even still, there are other animals that are affected by conditions that do not typically respond well to medications, but can be dramatically improved by surgical procedures, such as transvenous pacemaker implantation, patent arteriosus coil occlusion and balloon valvuloplasty.

Regular checkups with your primary veterinarian will ensure that your pet remains healthy. Should your pet require specialized treatment and diagnostics, you may be referred by your veterinarian to a board certified cardiologist for assessment and other treatment options.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the professional advice of your veterinarian.

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