Dog owners unaware their pet may have heart disease
Heart disease affects one in four dogs over the age of seven years, but recent research suggests that the majority of owners are unaware their pet may be suffering.
Although 80 per cent of people surveyed in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK and the US said that they regarded their dog as part of their family, 49 per cent admitted that they do not have a good understanding of the diseases and conditions to which their pet might be susceptible.
According to research on heart disease in dogs, around three quarters of all cases are due to a condition called myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).
In MMVD, the cusps of the mitral valve - one of the one-way valves in the heart - become thick so that the flow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body becomes affected.
Experts believe that more pet owners should be aware of the symptoms of the disease as, while there is no cure, treatments can improve the quality and length of a dog's life.
Congestive heart failure develops over many months and owners often do not realise their pet is ill until they go into severe heart failure, at which point they tend to breathe rapidly, drool, have a blue tongue and be at risk of collapsing.
Heart disease affects one in four dogs over the age of seven years, but recent research suggests that the majority of owners are unaware their pet may be suffering.
