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Treatment

The treatment your veterinarian administers will depend on exactly what kind of heart disease is affecting your pet and how severe it is. There are several different types of medicines that can be used, depending on the type of heart disease present. For congestive heart failure, a diuretic may be prescribed, and a drug to dilate the blood vessels (vasodilator). Digitoxin may be prescribed to decrease the heart rate and increase cardiac contractility.

Living and Management

Underlying cardiac diseases must be treated and kept as controlled as possible by your veterinarian. This means that you will need to take your dog to the veterinarian for frequent follow-up appointments. Sometimes, despite drug therapy, some animals will have an increased frequency of APCs, or will deteriorate to more severe signs of heart disease as the underlying disease progresses.

Depending on the underlying cardiac disease, you may need to change your dog's diet to a low sodium diet. You will also need to change your daily routine with your dog, with less physical exertion so that the heart does not need to work hard. Your veterinarian will advise you on the diet and amount of activity your dog will need to be of optimum health.