While heart failure is generally the result of heart disease, there are still a number of things you can do to help prolong your dog's life and make him feel comfortable, especially if the problem is diagnosed early. This treatment includes home supervision by managing the dog's activities, administering diuretic medications, and using medications and other medical procedures.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Caring for Heart Diseased Dogs
Step 1. Limit your dog's daily exercise
For dogs with weak hearts, exercise can make the condition even worse. Heart failure can cause obstruction of blood circulation. This means, the vital organs in the dog's body will not get enough oxygen. So, don't let a dog with heart failure do strenuous exercise. Let the dog play around the yard, but don't walk him. During breaks, pet your dog or let him relax. To help the dog rest:
- Avoid activities that can burden the heart. Move the water and food bowls to where they spend the most time. Prevent dogs from walking up and down stairs unless absolutely necessary.
- Changing the habit of carrying your dog up stairs instead of asking him to walk alone will make your dog feel more comfortable.
Step 2. Monitor the salt intake
Sodium chloride, better known as salt, will cause water retention. A high-salt diet can impede blood circulation and cause water to accumulate in the dog's body.
Look for free or low salt dog food
Step 3. Measure the dog's heart rate at home
Veterinary clinics can stress some dogs so that their heart rate readings may be inaccurate. Therefore, try measuring your dog's heart rate at home, especially when he is asleep. To do so:
Place your finger on the dog's heart and count the number of beats in one minute. Similarly, measuring a dog's respiratory rate at rest will also provide useful information for veterinarians
Step 4. Schedule regular checkups if the dog's condition seems stable
Heart disease will gradually get worse. Dogs should be checked regularly so that you can do everything possible to prolong their life and make their lives comfortable.
- If your dog's symptoms seem stable (not getting worse), schedule an appointment with the vet every three months.
- If your dog's condition appears to be deteriorating, contact your veterinarian immediately to make an appointment.
Step 5. Watch for symptoms of heart failure
Heart failure in dogs is generally associated with fluid accumulation in the lungs or stomach. This accumulation of fluid can cause symptoms to watch out for if you are concerned your dog may be experiencing or suffering from heart failure. These symptoms include:
- Quick breath.
- Heavy cough.
- Fainting while exercising.
- Understaffed.
- Fainting after light activity.
- Weight loss and no appetite.
- Fast heart rate.
Step 6. Start the medication if the dog's symptoms worsen
When your dog starts showing the above symptoms, your vet will likely prescribe diuretics and ACE inhibitors, as well as positive inotropes.
Diuretics you can give your dog are described in Method 2, while ACE inhibitors and positive inotropes are described in Method 3
Method 2 of 3: Giving Diuretics
Step 1. Understand the effect
Diuretics are drugs that will help remove fluid buildup from the body. During heart failure, fluid will leak out of the circulatory system and accumulate in the lungs (pulmonary oedema), chest cavity (pleural effusion), or in the abdomen (ascites). Each of these conditions will make the heart work harder to push blood through the tissues for oxygen exchange to take place effectively.
Removing, or reducing the amount of fluid that has accumulated will help reduce the workload on the dog's heart. Thus, reducing the work of the heart in pumping blood
Step 2. Give the dog the diuretic furosemide
Furosemide is a strong diuretic that works by inhibiting the re-absorption of sodium and chloride (salt constituents) by the kidneys. The result is that the dog will urinate more often to reduce salt accumulation.
- Furosemide is generally given twice daily at a dose of 2 mg per kg of body weight. For example, a 10 kg Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will use furosemide at an initial dose of 20 mg twice daily. Furosemide is available in the form of tablets of 20 mg and 40 mg, as well as injections of 50 mg/ml.
- Give bananas to your dog while he is on furosemide. Long-term use of furosemide will cause a decrease in potassium levels in the dog's body. To replace lost potassium, give your dog one banana every day.
Step 3. Talk about using spironolactone with your veterinarian
Spironolactone is generally prescribed when the furosemide dose for dogs cannot be increased any further. Spironolactone will bind to mineralocorticoid receptors in the kidneys, heart, and blood vessels of dogs. These receptors will help regulate water transport and maintain salt levels within normal ranges.
The recommended dose of spironolactone is generally 2 mg per kg of body weight once a day by swallowing with food. This drug is available in the form of tablets in doses of 10, 40, and 80 mg. For example, a 10 kg Cavalier will take half a 40 mg spironolactone tablet once daily with food
Method 3 of 3: Seeking Other Medical Treatment and Help
Step 1. Remove the liquid from the dog's chest as a short term solution
If a large amount of fluid has accumulated in the dog's stomach, the vet may recommend that this fluid be removed. This action will relieve the dog's condition in the short term because after the fluid is removed, the dog's diaphragm will be able to fully expand and the pressure on the dog's vital organs will ease. Unfortunately, it's very likely that this fluid will return again, but the timing will depend on the severity of the dog's illness. To remove the fluid, the vet will:
- Inserting a sterile needle or special catheter through a layer of skin that has been shaved and sterilized. The fluid will be aspirated through a closed system, such as using a three-channel injection, until it is completely drained.
- Most domesticated dogs do not need to be sedated to undergo this procedure, and only need to be given a small amount of local anesthetic.
Step 2. Try using an ACE inhibitor
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are similar to diuretics, which can reduce the workload of the heart. This drug has the effect of increasing blood flow out of the heart. Angiotensin plays a role in the process of blood vessel contraction and salt retention.
When the vessels contract, it will be more difficult for blood to circulate in the dog's body. Meanwhile, ACE inhibitors will prevent this from happening and help dilate blood vessels
Step 3. Give the ACE inhibitor enalapril to the dog
One of the ACE inhibitors is enalapril. The recommended dose is 0.25-1 mg per kg body weight once daily. However, in patients with severe disease, enalapril may be used twice daily. Enalapril is available in 1-dose tablets; 2, 5; 10; and 20 mg. For example, a 10 kg Cavalier dog needs one 10 mg tablet of enalapril once a day.
Step 4. Talk about giving your dog positive inotropic drugs
Positive inotropic drugs can make the heart muscle stronger in pumping blood. Some inotropic drugs can also help regulate the heart rate and slow it down slightly. This effect is beneficial because a beat that is too fast means that the heart doesn't have enough time to fully charge when it contracts. This means, the volume of blood pumped in each beat is less than the optimal volume. Thus, slightly slowing the heart rate to fully charge while pumping will make it work more efficiently.
Step 5. Consider giving the dog the positive inotropic drug Pimobendan
Pimobendan will make the heart more effectively respond to calcium. This in turn will help the heart to contract more forcefully. In addition, pimobendan will also reduce the attachment of platelets, thereby reducing the chance of their aggregation in blood vessels and the occurrence of stroke.
