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Treatment

This is an emergency situation requiring aggressive treatment. Your veterinarian will perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation to begin your dog's heart beat and will want to make sure that your dog's heart rate is strong and consistent before going forward. Any treatable problems, such as hypothermia, hyperkalemia, or acid-base disorders will be treated.

If primary heart disease is suspected, an echocardiogram (ECHO), a sonographic tool, can be used to visually monitor the heart's ability to pump blood, the pattern of blood flow, and to look for tissue damage. Chest X-rays will also be taken to look for any abnormalities in the thoracic (chest) structure. The patient should be closely and frequently monitored with an ECG.

Living and Management

Unfortunately, patients with this condition have a poor prognosis. Even when sinus rhythm is re-established, the prognosis is still usually guarded to poor, as it is not uncommon for the patients to undergo cardiac arrest again.