How To Deal With Congestive Heart Failure In Dogs

This can either be due to a change in the heart valves and their function or a variety of other potential reasons. There may be an abnormal communication between the left and the right side of the dog's heart and this can result in having a dog heart murmur. There may be numerous reasons for this. They may be either congenital or acquired. This means that the heart was affected after the dog was born due to disease or age. There are two distinct kinds of dog heart murmurs. The first is a benign heart murmur which is of no concern to your pup's health. However, it may be a serious heart murmur which may be indicative of congestive heart failure in dogs.

Dog heart murmur symptoms often include coughing, poor exercise ability, bluish tinge to the gums or tongue, labored breathing and even fainting. While some of these symptoms can be linked to other health issues, and the symptoms are the same between benign heart murmurs and the more severe forms, you should consult a veterinarian any time you have a concern about your dog's health. Some of these symptoms can be easily missed, including poor exercise ability and even a bluish tinge to the gums. If you have any suspicion that your dog may be suffering from issues relating to a heart murmur, canine heart disease or the development of congestive heart failure, contact your vet immediately for an official diagnosis.

There are certain symptoms that indicate your dog may have serious health problems. The best way to identify the source and severity of a dog's heart murmur is to have your dog thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian. However, additional testing may be necessary which may include a heart ultrasound, EKG, blood testing and chest x-rays. The ultrasound may be particularly beneficial because your veterinarian can measure the extent of your dog's heart murmur. It will define whatever the cause of the underlying heart disease may be. It is vitally important to have the cause of your dog's heart condition diagnosed because there are some cases where heart murmurs are treatable either by medication or surgery. Of course, you have to find out beforehand just how expensive various treatments may be so you won't be surprised by an abnormally high vet bill. You may be surprised at the prices some vets may charge.

If your dog has a congenital heart murmur, then surgery may be indicated. On the other hand, it may be necessary to give your pup certain kinds of medication may be because non-congenital heart murmurs are often an underlying symptom of congestive heart failure in dogs. You will not know how to proceed until you have consulted with the proper veterinarian and received advice regarding your dog's health. You should not leave symptoms like these to chance simply because not every heart murmur is benign and there could be serious changes occurring in the heart of your dog.

It is vital to share any concerns or questions that you may have with your veterinarian especially when it comes to your dog's physical condition and lifestyle. If you are not comfortable with a diagnosis from your general veterinarian, you should consider seeking out a specialist for your dog. You could either go to a veterinary cardiologist or an internist. These vets have specialized training and probably have vast experience in these problems and other issues that your dog may have.