Cats: Heart disease can be an aging
process but is usually a developmental defect and often seen in adult animals
before becoming senior. Senior cats with thyroid problems can develop
subsequent heart disease. (see glandular problems)
Symptoms: Heart disease in cats can
be a silent killer. Sometimes the cat is suddenly in
respiratory distress, panting or coughing. There may be a period
of poor appetite and lethargy. The pet owner may only be aware of
heart disease when the cat drops dead.
Medical treatment for cats with heart disease
usually is life long and consists of drugs in pill form, although many
drugs can be formulated in liquid by pharmacies that specialize in compounding
drugs for pets. Ask your veterinarian about the availability of a
drug in a liquid form (even flavored with salmon!)
Dogs: Heart disease in dogs is either
a congenital defect and seen in young dogs where the process of growing
reveals the inability of the heart to function correctly (like PDA or other
birth defects), or heart disease is a degenerative disease that gets worse
with age (like mitral valve disease). Many times heart disease is
detected in the mature adult and can be treated to sometimes slow down
the progression of problems, but without valve replacement, the conditon
cannot be cured. We then see the senior pet needing more medication
to relieve symptoms of poor circulation or respiratory problems.
Symptoms: Dogs with heart disease
often times cough or have exercise intolerance. This can be confusing
in the older dog who may also have arthritis and therefore exercise intolerant.
Other conditions can cause coughing, like a collapsing trachea.
Medical treatment for heart disease in dogs
is also pills. Sometimes the medication can have affects on other
organs in the body like the kidneys so careful monitoring of your pet is
required. As your pet ages and degenerative changes occur in the
kidney, drug dosages may have to be adjusted.
Nutrition is important to the elderly heart patient because protein requirements might not be met as circulation is worsening and the normal aging of the digestive system reduces the absorption of food. These dogs and cats tend to lose weight. It may be necessary for you to supplement your pet's food with fresh cooked (low sodium) meats, carbohydrates and fats. Discuss with you veterinarian and consider a nutrition consultation with a specialist at a veterinary university.
Diagnosing heart disease involves listening to the patient with a stethoscope, taking chest xrays to determine the size of the heart and condition of the lungs, performing an ECG to determine the rate and rhythm of the heart's electrical impulse, and an ultrasound to determine the heart's contraction ability and blood flow pattern.