There are so many things to think and worry about in the world of pet care; “Am I feeding the best food for my cat?”, “What is the best supplement for my dog’s arthritis?” and “When was the last time that I brushed my dog’s teeth?” are just a few examples. And while all of these things are immensely important, the vets here at Lomsnes Veterinary Hospital also use a regular wellness exam to look at some not so obvious conditions…
Heart disease in our pets may be much more common than you may think. Did you know that 25% of dogs over the age of 7 years and 15% of all cats have heart disease?! Often these cherished pets are suffering from this deadly disease without the owner having any idea. Many breeds of cats and dogs are predisposed to heart disease, some breeds by as much as 50%!
As the world of veterinary medicine advances so does the knowledge and treatment of heart disease. Rest assured that our veterinarians are capable of diagnosing heart disease in the very early stages, thus allowing these pets to live much longer than if otherwise missed. The signs of heart disease can be extremely subtle from no symptoms at all to being a little restless at night. It is often not until heart failure occurs that a pet owner realizes something is wrong. This is when the cat or dog will show more obvious signs such as coughing and difficulty breathing. Unfortunately for many pets once heart failure occurs it can be more difficult to treat and their lifespan is greatly shortened.
Your Lomsnes Veterinary Hospital team can educate you on what breeds need to be more closely monitored for heart disease, what the common symptoms of this devastating disease are as well as provide blood tests, examinations, radiographs, ECG’s and cardiac ultrasound that can determine whether or not heart disease is present in your companion.
Many of us take our best friend’s heart for granted, assuming that since they still love to swim, catch a ball, enjoy some of the fabulous walking trails around Red Deer or meet us at the door happily every day that their hearts must be fine…unfortunately you just don’t know for sure unless your veterinarian has screened their heart.
