Healthy Immune System and Heart Disease in Dogs

By HelloLife

About 10% of dogs will develop some type of heart disease during their lifetime. Most develop it as the result of genetics and age, both of which cannot be prevented. However, canine heart disease can be exacerbated by an improper inflammatory response. You can prevent this response by keeping your dog's immune system healthy.

Canine Heart Disease

Two common types of heart disease occur in dogs. One type involves the inability of the heart valves to properly close. This results in abnormal blood flow, causing the heart to work harder to supply enough blood to the body, damaging the heart further. The other common form of heart disease in dogs results when the walls of the heart become thin and weak. Both forms of heart disease can often progress into what's known as canine heart failure.

Canine Heart Failure

The name can be a bit misleading, as heart failure doesn't actually mean the heart has stopped working, but rather that it has stopped working efficiently. When the heart becomes weakened, it cannot pump blood fast and hard enough to maintain blood pressure. To make up for this, the kidneys retain more water. Excess water in the blood can accumulate in places like the lungs, extremities, or other organs. This condition is called congestive heart failure.

Signs of Canine Heart Disease and Canine Heart Failure

Heart disease can be difficult to detect in dogs as it often exhibits no symptoms until it has progressed significantly. Heart failure is usually the first sign to lead to a heart disease diagnosis. Dogs with heart failure will often gag or have a chronic, hacking cough. They may become lethargic or have difficulty breathing as well. When heart failure becomes severe, dogs will exhibit an extreme intolerance to exercise, have difficulty breathing even at rest, or lose their appetite.

How to Slow Progression of Canine Heart Disease

What causes canine heart disease is somewhat difficult to discern. Other than its connection to genetics and age, veterinarians don't have any sure-fire ways to prevent acquired heart disease in dogs. But while there is currently no way to prevent it, there are ways to slow its progression. Inflammation is a natural reaction of the mammalian immune system. It involves the rush of fluids and chemicals to an area of infection or damage, allowing problems in the body to be fixed efficiently. Sometimes the immune system can go overboard with inflammation, causing more harm than healing. In dogs with heart disease, this can be especially problematic. The weakened heart due to the presence of heart disease can attract excess inflammation. The addition of omega-3 fatty acids in a dog's diet can prevent this excess inflammation and slow the progression of heart disease. Many of the chemicals of the inflammatory response can be made less-volatile when omega-3 fatty acids are part of diet. Dogs can get the omega-3 fats they need from sources like tuna and salmon. And if you prefer not to go fishing in order to feed your dog, you can find omega-3s in many premium dog foods or nutritional supplements.

Sources:

http://www.parkvet.net/Canine/HeartDisease/MitralvalvediseaseHeartFailure/tabid/386/Default.aspx

http://www.breedsmartpartners.com/bronline/en_US/jsp/BO_Page.jsp?pageID=RLDP&articleID=117

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84

http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/pethealth/canine.asp

Photo Credit: turtlemom4bacon