Medical treatment is required to alleviate symptoms of heart failure in these dogs, but there is no treatment that can reverse the condition. The signs of DCM depends on the severity of the disease and the breed of dog, but generally include decreased appetite, coughing, difficulty breathing, weakness, fainting, cardiac arrhythmias, and sometimes sudden death.ĭCM can be hereditary, where a genetic mutation makes certain breeds more prone to developing heart disease. The right side of the heart can also be affected, which means fluid will build up in the abdomen (ascites) and chest (pleural effusion). The left side of the heart is most commonly affected, which will cause fluid to build up in the lungs (pulmonary edema). The inefficient pumping of blood caused by the dilation of the heart chambers leads to leaking of blood through the valves of the heart and the buildup of fluid in the body, which is called congestive heart failure (CHF). The heart muscles weaken and do not contract normally, which leads to an enlargement of the ventricles (dilation). This blog post will go over some of the information currently available about diet-associated DCM.ĭilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a form of heart disease affecting the heart muscles of the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). Still, there is not enough information to say why or how this occurs. The FDA has announced that there is a correlation between some diets and a certain type of heart disease called Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Click here to see the article and click here to see a recent FDA update. There has been a lot of media attention and many questions from worried pet-parents regarding the recent FDA report that suggests there is a connection between grain-free diets and the development of heart disease in dogs.
0 kommentar(er)
