Home Hours & Directions Client Resources Services Doctors Technicians Receptionists Contact About Us Payment Policy

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday

7am - 8pm

Friday

7am - 7pm

Saturday

7:30am -1pm

Click here for Holiday Hours

Client Printable References

Kitten Care

Puppy Care

Pet Microchipping
Pet Dental Care

How to Control Fleas

Heart Disease Guide
Local Training Classes
Kennels & Groomers

Frontline Coupon

Client Resources

Pet Owners Guide to Heart Disease

Heart Disease

Diagnosis:

Your  pet has just gone through a series of tests to access the current status of your pet’s heart disease as well as their overall health. Some of these tests are used to define and diagnose their specific heart condition and other tests help us to diagnose diseases secondary to the heart disease, discover concurrent ailments or predisposing factors to the heart disease, and to choose the proper medication and dosage that should be used.  

Some of these tests include:

• Physical Examination:  A thorough physical exam is completed, looking at all of the different systems of your pet. In particular, auscultation (listening with a stethoscope)  of the heart and lungs will tell us if there is any fluid present in the chest or lungs, what the heart “sounds” like, how fast the heart is beating, and if there are any abnormal sounds present in the chest.
  
  
• Radiology:  X-rays are a non-painful, non-invasive technique to evaluate the size and shape of the heart and abdominal organs. X-rays will also help us decide about how much lung congestion is present due to the heart disease.
  
  
• EKG:  The EKG (ECG) is an electronic device that looks at how your pet’s heart is beating from at least six different angles at the same time.  The results of the EKG will tell us how the heart’s natural pacemaker is functioning, which (if any) of the chambers of the heart are enlarged, and if the rhythm is normal or if an arrhythmia is present.
  
  
• Urinalysis:  The urinalysis is a group of tests done on the urine of your pet to determine any abnormalities in the renal system as well as any abnormalities in your pet’s general metabolism. It will also help us choose the proper dosage to use of several different heart medications.
  
  
• CBC:  (Complete Blood Count) This test will determine that the cells in your pet’s blood are normal in appearance and amount. It will also help determine if “infection” is present in your pet.
  
  
• Blood Chemistries: (SMAC) This is a group of tests used to analyze your pet’s serum. It uses approximately twenty-five different tests to determine how all of the organ systems inside your pet are functioning. It will also determine which of the many heart medications that are available can be used for your pet’s specific heart problem and at what dosage.

Treatment:

Treatment of your pet’s heart condition is usually a combination of medications and a sodium (Salt) restricted diet.  

Medications: may  be prescribed to alter to following:

• Heart rhythm
• Blood Flow
• Blood Pressure
• Heart Rate
• Arrhythmias
• Oxygenation of the heart itself
• Decrease coughing
• Decrease lung congestion

• Fight Infection
• Ease of breathing

Diet: A sodium restricted diet is used to keep your pet with heart disease healthy, breathe more easily, slow the progression of the heart disease, and allow us to use less medication. Sodium restricted diets suggested are as listed below:

•  Hill’s H/D
• Home prepared diet - balanced nutrition
• Table-food or treats without Sodium as last resort.

Home Prepared Heart Diet

Yield: 1 lb.

• 1/4 lb. ground round or other lean beef
• 2 cups cooked white rice without salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Cook beef in skillet, retaining fat, stirring until lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Keep covered in refrigerator.

 Body Weight     Approx. Daily Feeding

   5 lb.        1/3 lb.

  10 lb.        1/2 lb.

  20 lb.        1 lb.

  40 lb.        1 3/4 lb.

  60 lb.        2 1/3 lb.

  80 lb.        2 3/4 lb.

If you have any questions or would like more information,

please call us at 333-3847