Dogs with heart failure have signs of a cough, exercise intolerance, weakness or collapse, lethargy, and respiratory difficulty. On examination your veterinarian will listen for a heart murmur, see if the pulses are strong, and if heart disease is suspected will want to start with an x-ray. There are medications we use to treat (but not cure) congestive heart failure--so the good news is there are things we can do to make your dog more comfortable, improve quality and length of life.
Other diseases can make dogs restless and pant. Blood tests will also be needed to diagnose the problem with your dog.
Having older pets is hard because things do start to go wrong. Finding out the problem means we can intervene, do appropriate treatment, and try to improve the quality and length of your dog's life.
Good Luck!
Other diseases can make dogs restless and pant. Blood tests will also be needed to diagnose the problem with your dog.
Having older pets is hard because things do start to go wrong. Finding out the problem means we can intervene, do appropriate treatment, and try to improve the quality and length of your dog's life.
Good Luck!
