Cats may occasionally be affected with a disease referred to as asthma/bronchitis. Asthma causes the airways (bronchi) in the lungs to sporadically constrict. This condition is termed bronchoconstriction, and severely restricts airflow to the lung tissue, causing patients to gasp for air. This is typically manifested by open-mouthed breathing in the cat. Bronchitis causes the airways to become inflamed. […]
What is a genetic predisposition? A genetic predisposition means that an individual may have a tendency to develop certain diseases as a consequence of inherited defects in the genes. A gene is a segment of a chromosome, which is the portion of a cell that contains the instructions to produce certain substances, commonly proteins. These proteins have […]
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, dilatative cardiomyopathy, idiopathic cardiomyopathy, congestive cardiomyopathy) is a disease of the heart muscle, most commonly affecting large to giant-breed dogs, and is seen much less frequently in cats. Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy typically have one or more genetic defects that result in abnormal heart muscle proteins. Over time, this results in enlargement […]
An often neglected component of the management of any patient with an illness is diet modification. Generally speaking, patients at high risk for or those with a history of congestive heart failure should be on at least a moderately sodium (salt) restricted diet. This means that the diet should contain no more than 100 mg of sodium […]
What is the treatment for congestive heart failure? The mainstay of medical therapy of congestive heart failure is the careful use of a class of drugs called diuretics. Diuretics cause the kidneys to excrete sodium (salt), which in turn causes water loss through the kidneys, resulting in a reduction of the overall body water and blood […]
Dogs and cats may occasionally be affected by heart disease that is the result of a congenital heart defect. This means there was an abnormality of the heart that arose during early development within the womb. Diagnosis of congenital heart disease is made on the basis of the history, physical examination, as well as the […]
Canine Chronic Mitral Valvular Disease: Chronic Mitral Valve Disease (CMVDz, CMD, also known as myxomatous valvular degeneration/MVD or “endocardiosis”) is a degenerative condition of the heart valves and supporting structures that causes leakage of blood backwards through the heart due to the inability of the valves to form a tight seal. This disease is diagnosed […]
Arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms. Some arrhythmias are normal variants (i.e. respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and completely benign. Some may be abnormal, but not dangerous (i.e. premature beats). Some arrhythmias are associated with alarming clinical signs such as fainting (passing out, syncope) and can be life-threatening in certain circumstances. The following covers only the most common arrhythmias […]
