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Heart Disease

 
  • Heart Disease

Heart Disease

Approximately 10% of dogs and 15% of cats have some form of cardiac disease. As animals age, their risk increases significantly – nearly 75% of senior dogs exhibit some type of heart condition. Early intervention and management is key.   We use echocardiograms and electrocardiograms to diagnose these conditions and can then create a customized treatment plan.

Animals can have congenital heart disease (disease that they are born with) or have genetic predisposition to develop heart disease sometime during their lives.  There are also age-related heart diseases that animals can develop starting middle age or later.  A cardiac evaluation is recommended in animals that have a physical exam finding that is suggestive of a possible heart condition, for example a heart murmur or an arrhythmia.  Cardiac evaluations are also recommended for certain breeds of dogs and cats, since some breeds are predisposed to developing various types of heart diseases.

Unfortunately, heart disease is not always something that can be detected on a physical exam, particularly in cats and in some breeds of dogs.  This means that not hearing an abnormality with a stethoscope does not necessarily mean that heart disease is not present.   In addition, not all animals with heart disease have signs at home.  However, if they are exhibiting signs of heart disease, a cardiac evaluation is recommended.

Signs of heart disease in dogs

Signs of heart disease in cats

Signs of heart disease in dogs

  • Trouble breathing: breathing rate may be faster, breaths may appear heavier, deeper, or more exaggerated
  • Cough: new cough, increase in frequency of cough, or change in sound of cough
  • Collapse or fainting
  • Exercise intolerance: getting winded or out of breath with normal activity, or not tolerating normal walks
  • Restlessness (accompanied by change in breathing):  inability to sleep or rest comfortably
Please note:
  • Some of these signs can also occur with other disease processes.  A cardiac evaluation can determine if these signs are heart-related or not.
  • Dogs can also have heart disease without having any obvious signs at all.
  • Trouble breathing is an emergency; dogs with trouble breathing should go to their nearest emergency hospital. 

Signs of heart disease in cats

  • Trouble breathing:   breathing rate may be faster, breaths may appear heavier, deeper, or more exaggerated.  Some cats with trouble breathing may breathe at a normal rate, but each breath appears to be a deep sigh.
  • Restlessness (accompanied by change in breathing) – inability to sleep or rest comfortably
  • Collapse or fainting
  • Exercise intolerance:  In a cat this can be transient heavier breathing after exertion, such as playing or jumping up on furniture, or stopping to lie down after taking a few steps
  • Cough is rarely a sign of heart disease in cats (it is more commonly due to asthma or other respiratory diseases), however some cats can cough with heart disease
  • Sudden paralysis or inability to use hind limbs or a forelimb
  • Behavior change:  Although this is not specific for heart disease (it can be a sign of any other illness in a cat), when cats do not feel well they may hide or sleep in unusual places, not greet you at the normal times, or be less affectionate.  Since cats are very good at hiding how they feel, it is important to have a cat evaluated when they are not acting like themselves.
Please note:
  • Some of these signs can also occur with other disease processes.  A cardiac evaluation can determine if these signs are heart-related or not.
  • Cats can also have heart disease without having any obvious signs at all.
  • Trouble breathing is an emergency; cats with trouble breathing should go to their nearest emergency hospital.