Heart diseases in small domestic animals are widespread and constitute more than 10% of all cases of internal diseases. Chronic heart failure is a pathology with a complex of characteristic symptoms caused by inadequate blood transport through the bloodstream to the tissues of organs at rest and exertion, often accompanied by edema.
Content
- Причины появления патологии 1. Causes of pathology
- Как проявляется недуг? 2. How does the disease manifest?
- Методы диагностики патологии 3. Methods of diagnosis of pathology
- Методы терапии патологии 4. Methods of treating pathology
The causes of the pathology
The causes of pathology are various diseases of the heart and blood vessels - myocarditis, congenital pathologies of the heart valves, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction. Stagnant processes in the dog's heart muscle are the most dangerous. As a result of stagnation, myocardial hypertrophy, dilatation of the heart chambers, narrowing of the lumen of peripheral vessels, especially arteries and arterioles, occur. All these mechanisms are adaptive and for a short period of time compensate for the response in response to acute hemodynamic changes, contribute to the normalization of blood pressure. 
In addition to diseases of the circulatory system in dogs, this pathology can be caused by:
- thyroid disease;
- some medications, for example, from the group of steroids and diuretics;
- pathology of the kidneys and adrenal glands;
- age-related degenerative changes;
- metabolic disorders (diabetes, obesity);
- high physical exertion or hypodynamia.
Heart failure has a multifactorial nature of manifestation. Modern veterinary medicine considers the mechanism of development of pathology, regardless of the reasons for its occurrence, as a result of increased activity of neurohormones.
In addition, the theory of the influence of cytokines - inflammatory mediators, regulators of cellular functions that are synthesized by the immune system in diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the cause of most deaths, is now being studied, then the study of their causes and the development of methods for the early detection of diseases continue.
How does the disease manifest?
Symptoms of heart failure in dogs manifested in the form of:
- reduce exercise tolerance: shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, heart palpitations;
- fluid retention in the body.
Typical for this disease is the involvement in the pathological process of various organs and systems:
- vascular endothelium;
- heart muscle;
- glomeruli and medulla of the kidneys;
- intestines;
- striated muscles.
These pathological conditions can manifest as excessive urinary excretion or retention, pallor of mucous membranes, hemorrhagic rashes, cough, fainting. Manifestations of heart failure are as many as the causes of the pathological condition.
In the initial stage of the disease manifests shortness of breath after physical exertion and cough, which occurs when the bronchi are irritated as a result of stagnant processes in them. Subsequently, dyspnea takes on the characteristics of asthma attacks, which are weighted at night. Weakness and fatigue occur in a dog due to impaired metabolic processes in the striated skeletal muscle.
First, edema occurs on the periphery - on the paws of the animal, then the liquid accumulates in the abdominal cavity - the dog's stomach increases. The fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity, in the pericardial space. Then the liver is involved in the process, the sclera of the dog's eyes turn yellow, an increase in the level of bilirubin and liver enzymes is noted in the blood.
Congestion in the intestine and accumulation of fluid in the area of the peritoneal space leads to atony of the stomach and intestines. Nutrient absorption is impaired, especially in the case of the right ventricular type of pathology. Quite often, clinical manifestations are masked by signs of comorbidities, therefore differential diagnosis methods are of great importance for establishing an accurate diagnosis.
Methods for diagnosing pathology
In the practice of veterinary medicine, this pathology in pets is examined in accordance with a specific scheme:
- palpation and percussion examination of the heart;
- examine the pulse and peripheral blood vessels;
- conduct instrumental examination: electrocardiography, electro-echocardiography, radiography.
In the last decade, biochemical markers of pathology, cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptide, have become important in the diagnosis of heart failure in dogs. These markers show not only the presence of the disease, but also allow you to track the progression of the disease. Previously used as a marker for creatine kinase did not give a sufficient degree of sensitivity and specificity of the study. The diagnosis is established on the basis of data obtained in laboratory, biochemical and instrumental studies.
Watch the video and learn more about heart failure in dogs:
Pathology Therapy Methods
The treatment used in veterinary practice is aimed, to a greater extent, at improving the condition of the animal and maintaining the quality of life, and only slightly at arresting the main pathological processes. In therapy used:
- drugs that relieve swelling and prevent their formation - Furosemide, Spironolactone;
- ACE inhibitors that reduce the load on the heart - Captopril, Lisinopril, Enapril, Ramipril;
- omega-3 fatty acids that prevent weight loss and provide energy exchange in the heart muscle.
In modern veterinary medicine, good indicators were obtained when using the drug Vasotop (the trade name of ramipril) and omega-3 fatty acids. Scientific studies conducted in Japan showed that the use of the drug Vazotorp made it possible to qualitatively improve the condition in 86% of dogs with heart failure after a month of regular treatment.
It has also been proven that the introduction of food with omega-3 fatty acids into the diet of sick dogs reduces the risk of cachexia - the loss of body weight in animals with heart failure. Standard foods mainly contain omega-6 fatty acids, and the introduction of omega-3 acids into the diet contributes to their activity in the blood and tissues, and the more they will be incorporated into the cell membrane.
As a result of research, it was proved that the addition of omega-3 fatty acids in a dose of 1 g / day. significantly reduces the mortality of animals with cardiovascular pathology. When adding fish containing omega-3 acid or fish oil to dogs
- decreased tachycardia;
- atrial fibrillation decreased;
- cardiac chamber remodeling has decreased;
- blood pressure returned to normal;
- the condition of the vascular endothelium has improved;
- increased immune system function;
- decreased platelet aggregation.
According to the recommendations of scientists, for the prevention of heart failure in dogs at risk (representatives of dwarf and giant breeds), it is enough to include fish in the diet or give 1 capsule of fish oil per 4.5 kg of body weight to prevent the occurrence of heart failure or significantly slow down progression of an existing pathology.
It is only on the attentive and responsible attitude of the owner that the quality and life expectancy of the sick dog depends.