Canine Cardiac Disease How Common Heart Murmurs In Dogs Could Be The Result Of CCD

If your dog gets diagnosed with a common heart murmur problem, it may be a sign of canine cardiac disease.

According to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, a heart murmur results from blood flow running through the heart that is abnormal. Some heart murmurs are perfectly normal while others, similar to those heard in aging dogs, may be a sign that some type of heart disease is prevalent. The most common cardiac diseases in dogs include:

1. Congenital birth defects that show up when a puppy is young.
2. Degenerative valve disease (heart valve leaks) that mostly affect older or middle-aged dogs.
3. Loss of heart muscle tissue that is typically seen in young dogs or middle-aged larger dog breeds.

Detecting The Disease

Heart disease may not show up or be detected until it has reached a point where your dog experiences heart failure, collapse, or even sudden death. Your veterinarian can certainly check your dog out for heart murmurs by using a stethoscope. However, as the dog owner, your responsibility is to be on alert for certain signs such as difficulty in breathing, coughing, intolerance to exercise, or a swollen abdomen (caused by fluid retention).

Stroke Your Dog’s Chances Of Recovering From A Stroke

If your dog has had a stroke and you have sought out the proper medical attention, the good news at this point is knowing that your dog will recover from his stroke much faster than a person would. In fact, all dogs seem to progress to better health after having a stroke than humans who suffer the same experience.

Most dogs who are suffering from vestibular disease and responds to treatment within a few days has an excellent chance of recovering. However, he may be left with a slight physical dysfunction such as a tilted head or dizziness. Some dogs are unfortunately left with seizure episodes for the rest of their lives. And if the animal has cancer which was the cause of the stroke to begin with, his seizures will increase in quantity as time goes on.

Two thirds of all dogs who suffer from strokes (not strokes related to vestibular disease) are found to recover well. Only about one third of these dogs will experience further medical complications in the future. As with all deep rooted diseases, the number one influence on a dog’s recovery is the treatment of the underlying cause itself and if left untreated, there is a higher chance of more strokes to come.

Stroke Signs, Symptoms, And Causes Of Strokes In Dogs

Everybody is familiar with the fact that humans have strokes. It is a serious medical issue that people must be aware of when it comes to their own health. However, most of us do not realize that our pets can also suffer a stroke and receive severe brain damage. Experts use to claim that dog strokes were very rare, however during recent MRI scanning documentation, it appears that strokes in dogs is a lot more prevalent than we think.

What Exactly Is A Stroke?

A stroke is caused when the brain becomes suddenly damaged by a lack of blood supply. This could be caused by a blood clot or bleeding to the brain from a ruptured vessel (hemorrhaging). If the bleeding is not stopped as soon as possible, further damage will occur. The extra pressure against the skull from swelling can cause a lot of brain tissue to be destroyed in the process.

What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Dog Stroke?

Hyperadrenocorticism in dogs, commonly known as Cushings disease, is an endocrinal disorder caused by the malfunctioning of either the adrenal glands and/or the pituitary glands. There are natural as well as drug induced causes behind the occurrence of this disease in your pet.

Apart from the harrowing symptoms, there are numerous medical ramifications of Cushings disease in dogs that can potentially affect how long your dog lives

* High blood pressure and heart problems due to a weakening of muscles.
* Pancreas’ problems that are rare but can be fatal.
* Kidney problems that arise due to protein loss due to damage in the filtering system.
* Formation of clots in blood vessels due to malfunctioning kidneys.
* Infections caused due to suppression of autoimmune system by excess cortisol.
* Delayed healing of wounds due to excessive cortisol.

Majority of the pets with symptoms of Cushings disease almost always have accompanying high blood pressure and the related cardiac conditions. Due to muscle atrophy the heart muscles thicken and fail to pump sufficient blood. This results in a congestive heart condition. The lungs and abdominal cavities are filled with fluid as enough blood is not available. The resultant hypertension causes the heart to work even harder. This increases the chances of a heart failure significantly.

What are some of the most common heart and circulation conditions in pets?

* Heart murmur
* High cholesterol
* High blood pressure
* Thickening of the heart muscle
* Heart failure
* Irregular pulse
* Anemia

What symptoms should we look out for

* Tiring more easily than normal
* Low pitched deep cough
* Labored breathing
* Coughing during the night or after exercise
* Fluid retention in the legs and abdomen
* Bluish look to the tongue and gums
* Excessive weight loss

What is the conventional treatment?

Conventional treatment usually involves medication including diuretics which are used to control the sodium and water retention that accompanies heart failure; vasodilators which are used to lower blood pressure and digoxin and related drugs which help the heart beat more efficiently

What are the alternatives?

Herbal and homeopathic remedies have a long history of successful use in the treatment of circulatory and cardiac problems.

They can be used alone or as part of the total treatment strategy, depending on the recommendations of your holistic vet.

What is PetAlive Heart and Circulation Tonic?