My dog has Heart Failure- Caring for your dog with Heart Disease

It is very scary to be told that your beloved pet has heart disease or heart failure. At least 10% of dogs have heart disease, and whilst it cannot be cured, you can manage the disease and give your dog a full and long life with proper care and treatment.

What is canine heart failure?

Canine Heart failure isn’t the same as a heart attack in humans!  Heart disease in dogs or heart failure means that the dog’s heart isn’t able to pump sufficient blood to meet the body’s needs.  As the dog’s heart performance declines, the symptoms increase. Importantly, heart failure in a dog doesn’t in itself cause pain for the dog.

Heart diseases in dogs can be caused by:

• A valve defect (such as mitral valve disease)
• A cardiac muscle disease (such as dilated cardiomyopathy)
• Congestive heart failure (caused by things like mitral regurgitation/endocardiosis or dilated cardiomyopathy)
• An infection (often originating in the blood or peridontal

My vet put my pet on Meloxicam / Mobic / Loxicom / Metacam.  What does that mean?

Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), used as a painkiller or to relieve pain, inflammation and fever in dogs (and more rarely,cats).  It is often prescribed for pets that are diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and is also used to manage post-surgical pain.

Other brand names for meloxicam are Mobic, Loxicom and Metacam - whilst these medications contain the same active ingredient, dosages may differ, and you should check with your vet if you intend to change between the brands.

This article answers some of your common questions, such as how Meloxicam helps your pet, the dosage for Meloxicam, how soon does Meloxicam relieve your pet’s pain and the side-effects of Meloxicam for pets.

Meloxicam and osteoarthritis?

Meloxicam is often prescribed when your pet has progressively worsening inflammation of its joints (your vet may have called this osteoarthritis, or  Degenerative Joint Disease

Lovan is used by veterinarians to reduce anxiety and aggression in dogs and cats. It is the equivalent to the human drug Prozac, but in a different dose.

Anxiety in pets

Pets can suffer many different types of anxiety, and your pet may be showing that anxiety in different ways. It may be a fear or phobia that your pet shows - when new people arrive at the house, or when a storm approaches, or it may be separation anxiety (this affects approximately 14% of dogs!), which may result in destructiveness, distressed vocalization (crying, howling or constant barking), or “housesoiling” (a nicer term for the inappropriate mess that a distressed animal may cause in your home!).  (read more about Anxiety in Dogs)

Your cat or dog’s mental health is important, and a clinically distressed or anxious pet can be very distressing - this Sydney Morning Herald article describes the behaviors that were helped after pets received treatment for their anxiety (many with Lovan (referred to by its active

Cardisure is prescribed by vets to treat dogs with heart diseases.  Cardisure is used for congestive heart failure (CHF) which can be caused by either:

• Mitral valve disease (MVD)
• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)

Heart disease in dogs

Heart disease affects about 10% of all dogs.  Some of the causes of heart diseases can be:

•  a valve defect (eg. mitral valve disease) 
• a cardiac muscle disease (eg. dilated cardiomyopathy) or 
• a parasite like heartworm.  

Congestive heart failure in a dog means that the dog’s heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.  The symptoms increase as the heart’s health (and performance) declines.

Managing my dog’s heart disease

It's very upsetting to learn that your dog has heart disease.  But it is important to know that, whilst there is no cure for heart failure, it can usually be managed with medication and care.  

A dog with congestive heart failure (CHF) can live a long and full life if problems are diagnosed early and proper treatment

Vetoryl is prescribed for dogs that are diagnosed with Cushings syndrome (pituitary-dependent and adrenal dependent hyperandrenocoticsim.

What is Cushing’s syndrome or Cushing Disease?

Both pets and humans can suffer Cushing Syndrome, or hypercortisolism.  It happens more often in middle-aged and older dogs, and there are some breeds of dogs that are more likely to develop Cushing disease, such as poodles, dachshunds and smaller terrier breeds.

Cushing’s syndrome means that the body has abnormally high levels of the hormone cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands.  A hormone called ACTH controls the production and release of cortisol from the adrenal glands. ACTH itself is produced by the pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain. Cortisol is a natural steroid produced by the body, and a normal amount helps the body adapt, in times of stress.  It regulates proper body weight, skin condition and tissue structure.  However, too much cortisol

Trocoxil is prescribed for dogs that are diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

What is osteoarthritis?

Sometimes called Degenerative Joint Disease or DJD, osteoarthritis refers to when your pet has progressively worsening inflammation of a joint.  This happens when the cartilage in the joint starts deteriorating.  In a healthy joint, which moves smoothly and painlessly, the cartilage acts as a cushion.  This cushioning cartilage can start to break down or deteriorate, due to age, injury, repetitive stress, obesity, or disease. 

If your dog has osteoarthritis, he or she may show pain, or a decreased range of motion, and may develop inflammation or bone spurs.  The legs and lower back are the most likely to be affected.   

Dogs are really good at not showing that they are in pain, so you might not see the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.  Watch out for these signs in your dog, and discuss changes with your vet:

• Lethargy, or reluctance to run, jump, or play
• Stiffness, lameness,