There are veterinarians and then there are veterinarians! If you are fortunate to have a holistic or integrative veterinarian to care for your pet, you have an invaluable ally in your quest for excellent pet health. If you use a conventional veterinarian, you are going to have to educate yourself and put in some effort for your pet to thrive. In general, conventional vets treat disease symptoms while holistic vets try to find the root cause of the symptoms and cure the underlying disease when possible. Whichever vet you choose, that veterinarian is the best resource to promote your pet’s heart health.

As we talked about last month, heart disease is called “the silent killer” because the symptoms are subtle, often mistaken for other conditions, and are rarely noticed or mentioned to our vets. If you want to prevent or learn to stabilize heart disease the #1 step is to take your pet to the vet at least once a year for a general checkup. Many heart diseases, if caught early, can be successfully managed and your pet can live a nearly normal life.

Your vet will most likely detect heart problems by using his/her stethoscope and doing full blood work. Because there are many different types of heart diseases with very different treatments, more tests may be required. NT-proBNP is a blood test that can establish a baseline for monitoring the progression of heart disease. The results will be important for medication management throughout your pet’s life. Most vets will suggest an x-ray, an echocardiogram, an electrocardiogram, and a thyroid check at different stages of diagnosis and treatment. Other tests may include ones measuring cardiac biomarkers in the blood such as checking for cardiac troponin. Holistic vets may want different or further testing, for example, a hair analysis might be requested to see if there are underlying vitamin and mineral imbalances affecting heart activity. All testing will give essential information to your vet for medication selection and management. Commonly prescribed heart medications will be diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and antiarrhythmic drugs.

Humans, dogs, and cats all have similar heart problems, so research and new testing methods are constantly evolving. Do not be surprised if your vet refers your pet to a veterinary cardiologist who will be more knowledgeable about the latest treatments and techniques. Good communication between your vet, a heart specialist (if necessary), and yourself is essential.

At this point, if your pet has been diagnosed with a heart condition, you are most likely wondering what caused it.  Here are some of the causes of heart disease in our pets:

• Congenital heart diseases are often structural abnormalities that a pet is born with.
• Certain breeds of cats and dogs are genetically more susceptible to both congenital and degenerative heart problems.
• Advancing age is a strong factor.
• Poor nutrition plays a large part in degenerative heart conditions.
• Infections can cause heart problems.
• Other contributing factors may be obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid abnormalities, low blood magnesium levels, allergies, and inflammation of the pancreas to name a few.

Other factors also may play a role in the incidence of heart disease in dogs and cats.  In both species, males appear more susceptible than females.  Giant breed dogs and small dogs are more at risk of heart problems albeit they suffer from different forms of heart diseases. And, sadly, certain breeds of dogs and cats are especially noted for congenital heart problems or have a higher-than-average propensity to develop heart issues as they age.  If you are considering any of the breeds listed below, be extra diligent when choosing a breeder and verify that all pertinent health testing has been successfully completed.

CATS:

• Maine Coon
• Ragdoll
• Persian
• Sphynx
• American Shorthair
• British Shorthair
• Devon Rex

DOGS:

• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Doberman Pinscher
• Boxer
• Golden Retriever
• Great Dane
• Dachshund
• Miniature & Toy Poodles
• Miniature Schnauzer
• West Highland White Terrier
• Cocker Spaniel

These beautiful breeds can be wonderful companions, however, to lessen the chance of heartbreak be very careful to educate yourself about specific health problems endemic to that breed. Check into Natural Rearing websites to find the highest quality dog and cat breeders. Ask about their animals’ health histories and try to get a sense of the reliability and husbandry of the breeder before choosing a puppy or a kitten as a new family member. But before you reconsider, remember that breed predisposition to heart disease is only one causative factor in the complicated range of conditions affecting the heart.

In the final installment of our discussion on heart disease, we will explore some of the most effective ways we can prevent heart disease in our pets or strengthen hearts already experiencing problems. Do not lose heart; help is on the way.