Congestive Heart failure in Dogs: What Is It and How to Treat It

 What Is Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive heart failure  (CHF) is a heart condition that affects the heart and the way it pumps blood. In other words, this is a condition where the heart is unable to pump the needed amount of blood to the body. Unfortunately, this condition can cause an increase in pressure and fluid which unfortunately can leak into the lungs and to some other major organs in the body. Once the fluid is accumulated around your dog's lungs, this will prohibit the lungs from working normally, and can prevent the oxygen from moving properly into the bloodstream. Unfortunately, this can cause numerous health issues over time. The two most common causes for this condition are MVI and DCM. MVI or known as mitral valve insufficiency is a leaky mitral valve that is located between the left ventricle and the left atrium, while DCM is dilated cardiomyopathy.

The most common signs for this condition are fatigue, fainting, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, inability to exercise, lack of appetite, persistent coughing, swollen belly, change in gum, increased heart rate, crackling sound when listening to the lungs, etc.

How Can It Be Diagnosed?

As with any other heart condition, diagnosing CHF involves several tests like auscultation, chest X-rays, blood and urine tests, ECG (electrocardiogram) or ultrasound examination (echocardiogram). The type of test your dog needs will depend on its condition, but this can only be decided by your dog’s veterinarian and no one else. So, make sure you take your dog on time, from the first moment you notice something. 

How to Treat CHF?

The first thing you need to know is that the more tests are done on your dog, the more accurate the diagnosis will be. Luckily, these days there is a large selection of medications that are promising in the treatment of this condition. Out of all types, it’s the benazepril VetACE tablets dogs that give the most promising results. By giving your dog the right dose of VetACE tablets dogs, he can live a long and normal life for many years. But what exactly makes these tablets so beneficial?

VetAce or benazepril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor that is mainly used for treating heart failure, high blood pressure, a range of kidney diseases like acute kidney disease, the loss of protein in kidneys or also known as glomerulonephropathies and so on.

As we already mentioned, this medication usually comes in the form of tablets and should be given by mouth to your little friend. Depending on your dog’s preferences, you can give it to him with or without food, however, if he has a problem with his stomach, make sure to always give the tablet with food. An important thing you should know about this great medication is that it should take effect within  1 – 2 hours. In case there are no visible effects, your veterinarian will recommend doing laboratory tests in order to see its effectiveness. In other words, your veterinarian might change its dosage. In case you forget about giving your dog the medication, you can do it as soon as you remember after which you should wait the needed amount of time between doses.

Things to Have in Mind

An important thing you need to know is that you should be cautious when giving benazepril with alpha-2 adrenergic, allopurinol, antidiabetic agents, antihistamines, apomorphine, antihypertensive agents, antagonists, aspirin, barbiturates, buspirone, cabergoline, fenoldopam, lithium, iodinated contrast agents, iron, muscle relaxants, mirtazapine, pergolide, phenothiazines, opioids, potassium supplements, sildenafil, trazodone, tricyclic antidepressants, etc. When taking this medication, it’s recommended even to tell your veterinarian about taking any supplements, vitamins and even herbal therapies.

While taking this medication, your veterinarian will probably measure your do’s blood electrolyte levels, kidney values and urinalysis within two weeks of your dog starting the medication. When using this drug for regulating precisely high blood pressure, your veterinarian will probably measure your dog’s blood pressure in order to see if the medication works.

In case you have given your dog more pills accidentally or in case there is any reaction to the medication, you should call your veterinary office right away. If you can’t contact it, you should immediately go to an emergency facility. Another important thing you should know is that there are some side effects when taking this medication. The side effects may include diarrhea, vomiting and lack of appetite. Besides these, there are some other rare side effects like incoordination and tiredness. Unfortunately, there can be some serious side effects like skin rash, fever and tiredness, however, they are extremely rare. The side effects will usually stop within 24 hours, however, in some dogs with liver and kidney issues, the side effects can last longer. The ideal place to shop for tablets of this kind is of certified pharmacy or store that can provide you with qualified and certified medications and pet products.