Unfortunately, some dogs and cats may experience sudden cardiac death (SCD). This often unexpected event can lead to a lot of unanswered questions and frustration for many grieving pet owners. When a pet is otherwise not apparently ill or obviously exposed to a toxin of some kind, the heart is usually blamed as the underlying […]
Pulmonary hypertension (PHT, pulmonary arterial hypertension or PAH) is a condition in which the blood pressure in the lungs is excessively elevated. The normal blood pressure in the pulmonary artery is no more than 30 mmHg. Patients with severe pulmonary hypertension may have pulmonary arterial pressures greater than 80 mmHg. This condition may rarely develop suddenly secondary […]
Dogs may occasionally develop pulmonary (lung) disease. There are many different types of diseases that may affect a dog’s lungs, including heartworm disease, congestive heart failure and airway collapse (collapsing trachea and mainstem bronchus collapse). The following is a brief description of other causes of lung disease in the dog. Pneumonia is infection in the lungs. […]
Patients that have symptomatic bradycardia (slow heart rates) may benefit from the placement of a permanent artificial pacemaker. This is most commonly performed in dogs suffering from electrical heart disease with arrhythmias such as atrioventricular (AV) block or sick sinus syndrome. Occasionally, dogs are paced for atrial standstill. Cats rarely require artificial pacing, but if they do, it’s […]
