How To Recognize Dog Heart Problems At Home
Heart disease affects many dogs, especially when the animal is getting older. However, heart problems are not the same in big and small dogs. Therefore, it is advisable to recognize the signs that show that the dog has heart failure and learn to “measure the pulse rate” of our pet.
heart trouble
As with people’s hearts, dogs’ hearts can also fail. Thus, different pathologies can originate due to different reasons, depending on the size of the animal. Sometimes, it is the heart valves that present a problem, especially in the case of small dogs.
The difference between small and large dogs is that, in the case of the former, the problems are often in the heart valves. On the other hand, in large ones, the heart cavity cannot effectively return blood to the rest of the body.
What usually happens is that the bacteria that infect the mouth of small dogs end up affecting the heart valves, which control the entry and exit of blood, causing a disease called valve insufficiency.
In the case of large dogs, this problem occurs when the heart grows so large that the valves can’t handle it. In these cases, the cardiac zone cannot return blood to the rest of the body.
Signs that indicate heart failure in the dog
An animal that tires excessively while exercising, playing, or taking its walks outdoors may be suffering from a heart condition. The heart of the failing pet is struggling to pump blood with oxygen, which does not reach the muscles in the necessary amount. This ends up causing problems breathing and the need to inhale more and more often.
A dog’s cough is one of the signs that he may be suffering from heart disease. The veterinarian will be able to find out if this is the case.
The correct way to measure a dog’s pulse at home
Measuring your pet’s pulse at home will be a good way to find your dog’s heart failure in time. To perform this operation, try to position your animal on its side, without forcing it, so that it is very comfortable. Then place your fingers (except the thumb) in the middle of the animal’s thigh, as it is easier to feel its pulse there.
We will count the number of heartbeats of the dog for 15 seconds, multiplying the number of heartbeats perceived by four to get the number of heartbeats of the dog per minute. You need to repeat the operation to ensure that the measurement was correct and to accurately detect the dreaded heart problems.
As a guide, the pulse rate of a dog weighing about 13 kilos will fluctuate between 100 to 160 beats per minute. If the animal overcomes this weight, the beats are reduced to 60-100 per minute.
Healthy Habits for Dog Cardiovascular Health
Just as it helps humans, exercise is key to maintaining our pet’s health. It is highly recommended to walk for at least half an hour a day and outdoors. In this way, in addition to helping heart health, we will be preventing obesity, a dangerous problem for the animal and its vital organ.
It is worth remembering the peculiarity of flat-nosed dogs. Due to their physiognomy, they have breathing problems because of the constitution of their head and muzzle. Therefore, it is important, in these breeds, to prevent any type of heart disease.
Adequate nutrition
Feeding also affects the health of the dog’s heart. Already from the puppy stage it is necessary to adapt the diet in each of its vital stages. It is important to consider that small dogs have a faster metabolism and, therefore, their heart problems tend to be more frequent.
As with people, the animal’s diet needs to be low in salt. In addition, taurine is an amino acid found in the proteins of fish, chicken, veal, among other foods. We can also find it in some nutritional supplements. All of this will be excellent for preventing heart problems for your lovely pet.
