I have found that many pet owners assume the worst when they hear me tell them that their dog or cat has heart disease. Granted the heart is one of the bodies most important organs and a functional heart is critical for life. However, depending on the exact type of heart disease many dogs and cats can live a long time and with excellent quality of life. This is the difference between heart disease and heart failure. Heart disease simply means there is a condition or change of the heart that is not normal. Heart failure on the other hand is when heart disease has progressed to the point in which the functional capacity of the heart to pump blood has declined to the point when it is no longer able to keep up with the bodies demands and there is backing up of the blood or congestion.
Mitral valve disease is one specific type of heart disease that is an extremely common condition in small breed dogs. When caught early and with proper staging of the disease, monitoring and treatment this condition actually has a very good prognosis. It can often be many years before progressing to heart failure. Mitral valve disease is one heart condition in which there is excellent research on when we should intervene with heart medications for the best possible outcome.
Unfortunately, once heart failure has been diagnosed the prognosis is not as good. Even still there are treatment options that can help significantly.
An annual preventative health exam is the first step in monitoring your pets’ heart health. Clinical signs of heart disease that might be noted at home may include coughing, exercise intolerance or weight loss. If you have noted any of these signs in your pet and would like them checked over don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Dr. James Kirkham, DVM
Cacao seeds contain substances called methylxanthines which can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death in dogs and cats. Dark chocolate, Baker’s chocolate and cocoa powder are more dangerous than milk chocolate and white chocolate.
The toxic substance within grapes and raisins (Vitis spp.) is not definitively known but has been linked to development of acute kidney failure in dogs and cats. Until more information is known about the toxic substance, it is best to avoid feeding grapes and raisins to dogs and cats.
While cooked bread is relatively safe for pets, ingestion of Yeast dough is dangerous for pets. The stomach acts as an oven causing the dough to rise and expand, causing bloating and pain. This can predispose to twisting of the stomach, a life threatening condition called Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus. The yeast can also produce alcohol as a by-product.
Alcoholic beverages and food products containing alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death. Under no circumstances should your pet be given any alcohol.
Poinsettia Plants
She will be participating in the Veterinary Awards Banquet in Florida January 2019 where the winner will be announced.
