Although heart problems are found more often in older pets, these conditions can affect pets at any age. Heart disease is usually a life-threatening condition, but early diagnosis and appropriate therapy can extend your pet’s life. If caught soon enough, some forms of heart disease can be cured.
Often the first sign a pet has a heart problem will be detection during a routine exam, often during the chest auscultation when the vet hears an irregularity in the heart and/or lungs. Other times, the first indication of a heart problem will be simply an inability to get into a comfortable position to sleep, coughing, an intolerance to exercise, or even collapse. With some heart conditions, especially in cats the first sign of disease is sudden death.
Heart disease can lead to congestive heart failure (CHF), which occurs when the heart can no longer pump blood effectively. If an animal is suffering from CHF, fluid usually accumulates in and around the lungs and sometimes in the abdomen. Congenital heart disease (animals born with a heart problem), valvular heart disease (abnormalities of the heart valves), arrhythmias (rhythm disturbances), and heartworm disease can all lead to CHF.
