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.

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 may accumulate in and around the lungs and sometimes in the abdomen. Congenital heart disease (animals born with a heart defect), valvular heart disease (abnormalities of the heart valves), arrhythmias (rhythm disturbances) and heartworm disease can all lead to CHF.

Call us if your pet starts breathing rapidly or coughing, loses his or her appetite, tires easily, seems weak or has trouble exercising. We can discover many heart problems during a physical exam, but additional tests, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), radiographs (x-rays) and ultrasound (echocardiogram), are usually needed to accurately identify the cause of the heart disease or failure.