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My Dog Has Big Heart? What are the causes and treatments?



(July 28, 2010)

Dogs are probably the most common household pets and their high sense of loyalty added to the fact that they are highly interactive makes them the perfect companions for most people. The fact that dogs come in a variety of breeds, shapes and sizes means that an owner can pick one that best suits his or her personality as well. Caring for a dog will involve a certain number of factors. It can be a very easy task to care for a dog that has been trained well, while some dogs can be quite a handful. When it comes to health problems, the fact that most dogs prefer to suffer in silence, only usually showing symptoms of illness when the condition has develop significantly, makes it much harder for the dog owner to identify that there is a problem. As a result, when the illness does come to light, the condition has usually progressed so far that treatment is severely restricted.  Some of the more prominent symptoms seen in a dog with an enlarged heart include a general dip in the overall performance of the animal because of the fact that the heart, due much to the enlargement, will pump only a certain amount of blood to all the parts of the body. The effects of this are widespread because of the fact that the organs are not receiving the amount of blood that they are normally used to – thereby simultaneously affecting their own productivity. Enlarged heart disease is one of the most common dog heart disease and is seen to develop most often in the large dog breeds with the smaller dogs being almost exempt from the condition.

Dogs suffering from an enlarged heart will also show a distinct aversion to heavy physical activity primarily because they sense that their heart will not be able to keep up. Panting and snorting tend to become prominent much faster than under normal circumstances when the animal is affected by an enlarged heart. It is highly recommended that you take your bichon frise dog to your local veterinarian for a first hand check up if you suspect that the animal is suffering from an enlarged heart. The faster you have the condition treated, the less likely it is that you will be parted from your beloved pet. With the advances in medication, the chances that you dog will live a better life and longer life, despite being affected by the condition, have improved. Ask the veterinarian to give you information on the most suitable diet for the animal as well.
Submitted by N M on July 28, 2010 at 06:08

 

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