Heart problems are more commonly found in older pets but can potentially affect any pet at any age. While heart disease is a life threatening condition, an early diagnosis and the right therapy can extend your pet’s life. Heart disease can lead to congestive heart failure (CHF), which occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood effectively. If any animal is suffering from CHF, fluid usually accumulates in or around the lungs and sometimes in the abdomen. Congenital heart disease (animals born with a heart problem), valvular heart disease (abnormalities of the heart valves), arrythmias (rhythm disturbances), and heartworm disease can all lead to CHF. Give us a call if your pet starts to breathing rapidly or coughing, loses their appetite, tires easily, seems weak, or has trouble exercising. With a combination of a physical exam and additional testing such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), radiographs (x-rays), and ultrasounds, can be used to diagnose the cause of the heart failure.
