The short version
Heart failure is not a specific disease or diagnosis. It is a syndrome in which severe dysfunction results in failure of the cardiovascular system to maintain adequate blood circulation. There are limited and specific mechanisms by which heart disease can result in failure of the cardiovascular system. Therefore, there are limited and specific signs that can develop as a result of heart failure.
Types of Heart Failure
Heart failure can be divided into 4 functional classifications: systolic myocardial failure, impedance to cardiac inflow, pressure overload, and volume overload.
Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Failure, and the Failing Heart
Any heart with a reduced ability to contract is considered a failing heart. Almost any dog with heart disease that leads to chamber enlargement or increased wall thickness has a failing heart, but the body usually is able to compensate in other ways for these physical changes. As a result, the dog has no signs and is not in heart failure or congestive heart failure.
Heart failure and congestive heart failure are medical syndromes in which a dog exhibits signs related to a complex interaction between a failing heart and the blood vessels.
In heart failure, the blood flow is insufficient to supply organs with enough oxygenated blood for proper function. Depending on the degree of severity, signs of heart failure may appear while the dog is at rest, during mild exertion, or during moderate or extreme exercise.
Cardiac Biomarkers
Veterinarians can perform blood tests to measure proteins in the blood that increase with certain types of heart disease and failure. These blood tests, when used with other tests (such as x-rays and ultrasonography), can be used to diagnose heart disease.
Signs of Heart Failure
Right-sided congestive heart failure results in increased pressure in the vessels delivering blood to the right atrium and the body’s veins and capillaries. This may cause fluid to build up in the abdomen (ascites), the chest cavity, liver, and the limbs.
Biventricular failure can arise when both the right and left ventricles are not working properly, such as in dogs with heart muscle failure resulting from dilated cardiomyopathy or poisoning. Signs attributable to both forms of congestive heart failure can be noted, although it is common for signs of one to outweigh the other.
Treatment
It is important to treat heart failure in order to improve heart muscle performance, control arrhythmias and blood pressure, improve blood flow, and reduce the amount of blood filling the heart before contraction. All of these can further damage the heart and blood vessels if not controlled. It is also necessary to reduce the amount of fluid in the lungs, abdomen, or chest cavity.
Frequently asked questions
Heart failure dogs?
The Merck Veterinary Manual covers this in the article linked on this page. Heart failure is not a specific disease or diagnosis. It is a syndrome in which severe dysfunction results in failure of the cardiovascular system to… If your dog is unwell, contact your veterinarian — this page is educational, not a diagnosis.
Heart failure dogs symptoms?
The Merck Veterinary Manual covers this in the article linked on this page. Heart failure is not a specific disease or diagnosis. It is a syndrome in which severe dysfunction results in failure of the cardiovascular system to… If your dog is unwell, contact your veterinarian — this page is educational, not a diagnosis.
Heart failure dog cough?
The Merck Veterinary Manual covers this in the article linked on this page. Heart failure is not a specific disease or diagnosis. It is a syndrome in which severe dysfunction results in failure of the cardiovascular system to… If your dog is unwell, contact your veterinarian — this page is educational, not a diagnosis.