CARDIAC DISEASE WORK-UP
Heart Disease can range from mild to life threatening, and there are several different types. Here are the steps often recommended to diagnose and treat heart problems in pets.
Stage I: your pet has an audible heart murmur, but no cough, exercise intolerance or other symptoms of illness.
Chest X-rays, 2 views
Geriatric blood screening and urinalysis to rule out kidney or liver disease and diabetes, which can contribute to heart disease.
Moderately low sodium diet to control blood pressure
There are several brands of prescription food your veterinarian may prescribe. They come in dry or canned versions. Or you can get a recipe for a homemade food you can mix yourself. Regular dog and cat foods have sodium levels many times higher than is recommended with heart disease.
CHANGING FOODS PROLONGS LIFE EXPECTANCY OF PETS WITH HEART DISEASE BY ABOUT 2 YEARS.
Dental care as needed
The most important contributing factor in heart disease is infection in the mouth. Regular dental cleanings are extremely important to control heart disease.
Weight control
The more overweight the pet, the harder the heart has to work. Weight control is very important to keep your pet comfortable as long as possible, and helps lessen the severity of symptoms.
If heart enlargement, pulmonary edema or blood test abnormalities are found on testing, medication may also be needed.
Heart disease usually slowly progresses with age. We recommend repeating the chest x-rays and blood testing at least on an annual basis. As the disease progresses, exams and testing will be required more than once a year. An echocardiogram or ECG may also be recommended, depending on the type of heart disease your pet has.
Stage II: Audible murmur with cough or exercise intolerance, or abnormal heart rate or rhythm:
Chest X-rays, 2 views
Electrocardiogram (ECG) to evaluate heart function and rhythm. If an abnormal rhythm is detected, a complete 6 lead EKG or follow up electrocardiograms will often be necessary.
Geriatric blood screening, including a complete blood count (CBC), chemistry panel, electrolyte panel and urinalysis. These tests rule out kidney or liver disease and diabetes, which can contribute to heart disease. With advancing heart disease poor circulation frequently leads to organ dysfunction, so it is common to find some abnormalities on blood or urine tests.
Low sodium diet to control blood pressure
There are several brands of prescription food your veterinarian may recommend. They come in dry or canned versions. Or you can find a recipe for a homemade food you can mix yourself. Regular dog and cat foods have sodium levels many times higher than is recommended with heart disease. CHANGING FOODS PROLONGS LIFE EXPECTANCY OF PETS WITH HEART DISEASE BY ABOUT 2 YEARS IF THE DISEASE IS DIAGNOSED BEFORE SEVERE DAMAGE HAS OCURRED.
Dental care as needed
The most important contributing factor in heart disease is infection in the mouth. Regular dental cleanings are extremely important to control heart disease. Once your pet's heart disease has been controlled with medications, anesthesia for dentistry is generally safe until the disease reaches an advanced stage.
Weight Control
The more overweight the pet, the harder the heart must work. Weight control is very important to keep your pet comfortable as long as possible.
Medication as needed, depending on test results
Once your pet's heart condition is under control, we recommend at least semi-annual rechecks examinations. Usually chest x-rays will be done at these visits. Blood testing should be repeated at least annually. An echocardiogram may also be recommended, depending on the type of heart disease your pet has.
