February is National Heart Month. There’s a lot of information available to us about human heart problems. We’ve all got a pretty good idea what the signs and symptoms might be and we also have a pretty good idea about how to keep our hearts healthy. What about our dogs though? Is it the same? What kind of heart problems can dogs get, how can we learn to recognise them and treatments are available?
Some breeds are more prone to particular types of heart problems than others. Large and giant breeds are more prone to an enlarged heart and heart failure. Small and toy breeds are more prone to issues of the heart valves. Overall, some of the most common heart problems for dogs are heart disease, heart murmur, mitral valve disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias and heart failure.
Kathy Hobson is a Dog First Aid trainer and doggy mum to mixed-breed rescue dog Freddie. She says: “The most common symptoms to look out for are coughing, breathlessness, low energy, increased heart rate, fainting, a swollen belly (caused by fluid build-up because of poor blood flow), decreased appetite and corresponding weight loss. These are worrying signs for any dog owner or carer and should be taken seriously. Make an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible.”
Treatment will depend on the precise problem of course. Often diet and weight management, regular exercise and the minimising of stress can all help to delay or reduce heart disease. Some conditions may be ‘grown out of’, some won’t require any intervention at all, some will require surgery and some will need regular medication.
The important thing to do is recognise the symptoms, consult your vet and follow your vets advice along with attending regular check-ups.
Kathy explains: “On our first aid courses we teach people how to take their dog’s pulse. We also discuss what is a normal heart rate and what kinds of things might affect this. For example, an elevated heart rate may indeed be a sign of a heart problem, but it could also be due to exercise, excitement, stress, fear , pain or an infection.”
Another topic covered during the Dog First Aid Training courses is CPR. For many attendees this is the subject that they most want to learn about. Whilst it is possible for a dog to suffer a heart attack and need CPR treatment there are a number of more likely scenarios such as drowning, electrocution or lungworm. Heart problems usually present with symptoms that will have been investigated by a vet and treated before reaching a stage of sudden collapse.
Nevertheless, it’s still a great idea to learn how to do CPR on a dog! The procedure is a bit different from the human version and you can’t call for an ambulance like you can for a human, so knowing what to do is an essential skill for any dog lover. Whether it’s from drowning, electrocution or heart failure, learning canine CPR could save your dog’s life one day.
Other potentially life-saving skills and knowledge you gain from a canine first aid course would include GDV/bloat, shock, bleeding, seizures, choking, heat stroke, burns and scalds and toxic ingestion – many of which have different techniques from what you would learn on a human first aid course.
Dog First Aid Training offer the Continued Professional Development (CPD) accredited Emergency Canine Care™ (ECC) Course. The course is written by vets and is regularly updated.
Kathy Hobson is your local Dog First Aid trainer, covering East and West Sussex, Brighton and Hove. You can contact her on kathy.hobson@dog-first-aid.com , 07498 557064, or on Facebook www.facebook.com/dogfirstaidsussex.
