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Heart failure is a lot more times than not the result of some other heart disease that progresses along and makes the heart lose its ability to pump blood efficiently or effectively. The definition of heart failure is “any cardiac abnormality that results in failure of the heart to pump blood at a rate that is in accordance with the requirements of metabolizing tissue.”
This week I will go over different types of heart failure, the causes, symptoms, medications used for treatment, and everything else you wanted to know about this disease but were either too terrified to ask or you preferred enjoying a comedy on the television. given a choice between some good laughter and going over heart disease, I always choose …. anyway let me get back to writing this informative blog.
The three main types of heart failure:
Left Sided
Increase in the pressure of vessels that bring the blood to the left ventricle.
Pulmonary edema and congestion – cough and shortness of breath are the most common signs.
It is less common for a cat to develop a cough. Cats do however develop shortness of breath, lack of appetite, rapid breathing, and the inability to tolerate much activity or exercise.
Dogs with left-sided congestive heart failure (CHF) could experience loss of consciousness or “fainting”.
Right Sided
Increase in the pressure of vessels that deliver blood to the ideal ventricle.
This typically results in the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, accumulation of fluid in a space that surrounds the lungs, and swelling in limbs and the extremities.
When both the ideal and the left ventricles are not working properly, symptoms of left sided and ideal sided may occur.
Causes of Heart Failure
Heart disease is the most common underlying cause of heart failure. Abnormal heart rates (ie. tachycardia or bradycardia), untreated heartworm infection, and a decrease in the volume of blood that is pumped (decreased stroke volume) are all examples of conditions that could potentially cause heart failure. As these abnormalities progress the body tries to compensate by re-arranging certain things the heart does and the ways they are done. This compensation can work for a short period of time but eventually it decreases the efficiency and functionality of the heart which then progresses into failure.
Treatment
Heart failure treatment in dogs and cats is normally aimed at decreasing the amount of compensation that the heart undergoes to stop the long term effects of failure. The drug is normally selected depending on the symptoms. goals of treatment include:
resolve underlying cause
Normalize the rhythm and heart rate
Normalize electrolytes
improve the quality of life and optimize survival
Drug Therapy
Loop diuretics such as furosemide are very frequently used to treat animals with edema (swelling). While on diuretics the veterinarian will be a lot of likely be monitoring potassium levels, kidney function, and other electrolytes.
ACE Inhibitors such as enalapril and lisinopril are also used off-label in dogs and cats. These medications inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme, minimize vasoconstriction, and aldosterone levels. They are typically used with good results in the treatment of CHF. lots of dogs and often even cats may develop a dry cough as a result of being treated with ACE inhibitors. The veterinarian may also wish to monitor for potassium levels and kidney function.
Positive Inotropes such as digoxin increase the strength of the cardiac contraction. Digoxin is used for the regular management and maintenance of heart failure. The veterinarian will normally lower the dose if the pet is suffering from kidney disease and will also monitor potassium levels and digoxin levels. The therapeutic window (the difference in dose between good effect and bad effect) is pretty narrow so it is crucial to use caution to make sure the dose is right and to frequently monitor blood levels of the drug.
Other medications such as vasodilators like hydralazine, calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem are also used to improve function.
The most current addition to the list of medications used to treat congestive heart failure is a medication called pimobendan (Vetmedin). This medication reduces resistance in the circulatory system by dilating blood vessels and improving pumping efficiency. Vetmedin has proven quite safe under a lot of scenarios and appears to greatly increase the quality of life.
The a lot of crucial aspect of caring for a pet with heart failure is to be aware and alert of the signs and symptoms and changes in behavior so that treatment may begin early. The only way to get a definitive diagnosis is to check out your veterinarian, so having a good relationship with the veterinarian is crucial in maintaining the health of your pet. having a veterinarian discover the early signs of this potentially lethal condition and starting early on the treatments could increase the number of years your pet will have, as well as the quality of the pet’s life in general.
As always, if you have any medication-related questions a 1800PetMeds pharmacist is available and will be delighted to answer those for you.