A disease in which the contraction strength of the heart muscle weakens and the heart can no longer push blood from the ventricles to the peripheral vessels of the body and the lungs. Fluid then accumulates in the lungs and in the chest and abdominal cavities.
It occurs in all breeds of dogs, in cats, ferrets and other animals.
In large breeds the most common cause is dilated cardiomyopathy, which affects both ventricles, while in small dog breeds it is most often due to damage to the heart valves, as a result of which the atria and ventricles dilate — mainly the left ventricle and atrium. The causes are most often hereditary and more rarely acquired. In cats, besides the genetic factor, a lack of sufficient taurine — an amino acid in the diet — can also play a role.
Treatment is individual, according to how far the heart function is affected, and is decided by the veterinarian during the examination. The most accurate method for this is echocardiography — ultrasound of the heart; at our clinic this examination is performed by Dr Rosen Tsokev, a specialist in the field. The main groups of medication used are diuretics, ACE inhibitors, drugs that increase the contraction strength of the heart muscle, antiarrhythmics, food supplements and others.