Treatment of Heart Disease in Dogs and Cats
Congestive heart failure is treated with medications to remove the fluid in the lungs and in the abdomen. Most dogs and cats with congestive heart failure are treated with at least 2 medications: diuretics (e.g., furosemide) to remove the excess fluid and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors
Abdominocentesis is being performed on this dog to remove fluid that has accumulated in the abdomen due to congestive heart failure.
(e.g., enalapril) to counteract overactive compensatory mechanisms that cause retention of fluid. Other medications that support heart function may be utilized in select cases as the disease progresses.
Fluid that accumulates around the lungs in the chest cavity and in the abdomen can be removed manually though a catheter.
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ECG showing complete heart
block.
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ECG from a dog with sick sinus syndrome. The solid arrow
shows an area of tachycardia (fast heart rate) and the open arrow shows an area
of sinus arrest (no heartbeat).
Xray of a dog with a pacemaker. Note the pacemaker lead
(solid arrow) and pacemaker generator (open arrow).
Severe arrhythmias are treated with antiarrhythmic medications. Some examples of these drugs are atenolol, sotalol, diltiazem, digoxin and mexilitine. Dogs with arrhythmias that cause an excessively slow heart rate (e.g., complete heart block or sick sinus syndrome) require pacemaker implantation as treatment.
Other medications may be prescribed depending on the underlying disease present. For example, antithrombotic medications are used for cats with severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and medications to increase the contractility of the heart (e.g.
pimobendan, digoxin)
are used for dogs and cats with dilated cardiomyopathy.
Certain congenital defects are amenable to correction. For example, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can be corrected either surgically (ligation of the shunt) or through a catheter that delivers a device to occlude the shunt. Pulmonic stenosis can be relieved by balloon dilation of the valve, which is also a catheter-based intervention.
Not all heart diseases require medication or intervention and in these instances, the cardiac status of the patient is monitored closely.