Is My Dog Having a Heart Attack? How Do I Know?

It’s not easy to tell if your pet has a heart attack. That’s why it’s always best to be aware of the symptoms. The sooner you know that your dog has a heart attack or even think about going into shock, the faster you can take them to a vet.

What Is a Heart Attack in Dogs

Heart attacks in dogs are a little different from humans. Human heart attacks, for example, generally have symptoms localized to the chest. Canine heart attacks tend to manifest all over their body, and you may not even know it’s a heart attack.

Also, heart attacks in dogs are not directly related to arterial plaque, which is the leading cause of heart attacks in humans. If your pet has a heart attack or goes into shock, something is damaged in one of their muscles, and they’re losing blood flow.

Symptoms of Dog Heart Attacks

It can be difficult to see signs that your dog will have a heart attack because other issues can cause similar symptoms, such as poison or heatstroke. However, dogs with a heart attack will tend to sit down and pant more than usual while their gums turn blue around their muzzles.

In addition to these, look for the following early signs: 

• Heavy panting
• Pale gums
• Weakness or lethargy
• Pacing
• Whining
• Dizziness or loss of coordination
• Collapsing, either while resting or after a quick burst of activity.

Dogs can’t move much and look like they’re in shock when having a heart attack. This is when you need to get them to the vet as soon as possible.

What Is Hyperventilation in Dogs?

This is important because it is a symptom of many other conditions rather than heart attacks in dogs. Hyperventilation is when your pet breathes rapidly and heavily, typically after being startled. It’s a way for them to get more oxygen into their lungs and across their blood-brain barrier, which happens when humans hyperventilate.

The problem with this condition is that your dog’s body can’t handle it properly because they’re still developing mentally. Hyperventilation causes gasping, blue muzzles, and rapid breathing, but it isn’t normal for your pet to have these symptoms. Regardless, bring them to the hospital immediately.

Since heart attacks involve expertise, always choose a vet who specializes in cardiology. Like human cardiologists, they are highly trained and knowledgeable in this area. A versatile dog cardiologist can also be a cat cardiologist who can handle any pets’ cardiovascular system issues. 

What Causes Heart Attacks in Dogs?

The most common condition that causes heart attacks in canines is a myocardial disease, which occurs when there’s damage to the muscles surrounding the heart itself. Heartworms can also lead to a canine heart attack. These are parasites living in your dog’s heart, and they can cripple it over time.

Others are:

• Aneurysm
• Cardiomyopathy
• Hyperthyroidism
• Poisoning or drug interactions
• Infection
• Lack of blood to a body part due to an accident or injury

What Your Vet Can Do

Most vets can give dogs CPR or resuscitate them if they have already lost consciousness. Then they will find out what caused the heart attack. Plus, they prescribe medications to help their heart and other organs.

They might also recommend MRI if they think there are other issues with your dog. Make sure that you answer some questions about their symptoms and what happened. This way, they can find the severity of the damage.

If this test is necessary, search online for MRI for dogs near me if the vet doesn’t offer the service. Remember, your dog’s condition needs immediate attention, so you don’t need to travel for this.

Treating Heart Attacks in Dogs

Whether or not your pet lives or dies, treatment for them after they’ve had a heart attack depends on what happened during and immediately before it. If it’s due to an infection, your vet can give antibiotics specific to that condition.

With any other type of heart attack, they will prescribe medications that reduce blood pressure or prevent further damage to the muscles surrounding the heart. If they had surgery, you and the vet must monitor their recovery. Click here to know more about dog surgeries.

On top of these, you need to understand how serious these attacks are for your pet, especially if they’re old or overweight. Like humans, canine heart problems can kill them if left untreated.