| Monthly Marketing Topic |
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June is Heart Disease
Awareness Month
Heart Disease in dogs and cats is not like
humans. Humans have to worry about
cholesterol and blockages in arteries leading to
a “Heart Attack.”
Dogs often have a “Heart Murmur,” “Murmur is
the sounds of the valve leading. A leaking valve
causes the chamber to become “overfull.”
The muscle has to stretch out to accommodate
greater volume which pulls valve apart making
the leak worse and perpetuating the problem.
What can we do? 3 things to make a heart’s job
easier so it will last longer.
1) Decrease blood volume with diuretics
2) Decrease resistance it has to pump against
with blood pressure medications.
3) Help muscle have a stronger more
coordinated contraction and just like in people:
no junk food and take fish oil.
What about Cats?
They get a beefy enlarged heart muscle that fills
up the chamber diameter. This means they can
only pump a small amount of blood at a time so
their heart has to beat a lot faster which causes
it to wear out. They are also prone to forming
blood clots and having high blood pressure.
How do we know?
1) We listen (Stethoscope)
2) We look (Chest Radiographs and Ultrasound)
3) We measure (Blood Pressure)
Early Detection is Key!
Seniors and small dogs are the most at risk.
Awareness Month
Heart Disease in dogs and cats is not like
humans. Humans have to worry about
cholesterol and blockages in arteries leading to
a “Heart Attack.”
Dogs often have a “Heart Murmur,” “Murmur is
the sounds of the valve leading. A leaking valve
causes the chamber to become “overfull.”
The muscle has to stretch out to accommodate
greater volume which pulls valve apart making
the leak worse and perpetuating the problem.
What can we do? 3 things to make a heart’s job
easier so it will last longer.
1) Decrease blood volume with diuretics
2) Decrease resistance it has to pump against
with blood pressure medications.
3) Help muscle have a stronger more
coordinated contraction and just like in people:
no junk food and take fish oil.
What about Cats?
They get a beefy enlarged heart muscle that fills
up the chamber diameter. This means they can
only pump a small amount of blood at a time so
their heart has to beat a lot faster which causes
it to wear out. They are also prone to forming
blood clots and having high blood pressure.
How do we know?
1) We listen (Stethoscope)
2) We look (Chest Radiographs and Ultrasound)
3) We measure (Blood Pressure)
Early Detection is Key!
Seniors and small dogs are the most at risk.
| Parkview Veterinary Hospital |
| 571 E. Franklin St, Suite C Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 372-2672 |
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