Understanding Dog Heart Disease

1 Overview

1. How to Tell If a Dog Has Heart Disease

1. Cough: a dog with heart disease may cough, mainly a dry cough. If your dog occasionally dry-coughs, chokes easily when drinking, and it worsens with age, see a vet.

2. Fatigue: heart problems cause easy tiredness and exercise intolerance; slight activity triggers coughing and panting — an early sign.

3. Excess drinking: noticeably more water, heavy breathing; severe cases show abdominal breathing with a purple tongue.

4. Heat sensitivity: in warm weather the dog pants heavily and lies in cool, airy spots.

5. Poor sleep: a dog with heart trouble rests uneasily at night, may be restless, pacing or changing position often.

2. How to Prevent Dog Heart Disease

1. Moderate exercise: exercise builds fitness, but overdo it and you burden the heart and lungs.

2. Control weight: obesity invites diabetes and heart disease and adds cardiac load.

3. Smart diet: avoid letting the dog gulp water; sip in small amounts to spare the heart. Excess salt raises blood pressure and heart risk, so never feed human food.

4. Mental health: spend time walking and playing to keep the dog calm and reduce environmental and stranger-animal stress.

The most direct prevention is regular checkups to catch and treat problems early. If you have further questions, consult an online veterinarian.