Shortness of breath in dogs

The stupid thing about diseases in our beloved four-legged friends is that many of them develop insidiously and it is often very difficult to tell in animals whether they are missing something. So if you do not go to the vet for preventive medical checkups, you usually find out too late when your beloved four-legged friend has ailments.

A healthy dog usually breathes slowly, evenly, and calmly

Shortness of breath can trigger just as much fear of death in our beloved four-legged friends as it does in humans. Shortness of breath manifests itself by increased panting and by very loud, deep or rapid breathing. The chest and stomach move very clearly, the nostrils and the muzzle are wide open and, in particularly bad cases, the tongue can even turn blue. If this affects your dog, you shouldn't wait to see the vet, because shortness of breath is in most cases accompanied by serious illnesses. The causes of sudden shortness of breath are very diverse, with heart disease and lung disease being the most common causes of shortness of breath in dogs. Shortness of breath in dogs is a symptom that can have a variety of different causes. It can be pneumonia, but there can also be pulmonary edema or, in very bad cases, a risk of suffocation. Lack of oxygen in the brain can be very dangerous, so the cause of shortness of breath in dogs must be clarified as soon as possible. The veterinarian can determine the causes by listening or x-rays as well as by means of an endoscopy and make an appropriate diagnosis. If, for example, it is a viral infection, expectorant or cough suppressant drugs are administered to support self-healing. If your four-legged friend has inhaled a foreign body, an endoscopic intervention is required to remove the foreign body. It is also possible that water has accumulated in the lungs due to a weak heart. Medicinal treatment is also necessary for this water retention. The dog's chest or lungs can be infected with tumors. These must be operated on, depending on whether removal is possible.

Beim Herzcheck wird zunächst das Herz abgehört. Sind auffällige Herzgeräusche hörbar, so kann auf Herzprobleme getippt werden. In den meisten Fällen liegt eine Herzklappenerkrankung vor. Hierbei sind oft ältere Hunde sowie kleinere Rassen wie beispielsweise Dackel betroffen. Es kann allerdings auch eine Herzmuskelerkrankung vorliegen, bei der der Herzmuskel dünner und schwächer wird und somit nicht mehr richtig in der Lage ist zu pumpen. In diesem Fall sind eher jüngere und mittelalte Hunde sowie größere Hunde wie zum Beispiel Dobermänner, Deutsche Doggen oder Boxer betroffen.

It is not easy to precisely predict or generalize the course of the disease, as the diagnosis depends on the stage of the disease. With mitral endocardiosis, for example, your four-legged friend can live a long and symptom-free life, as this progresses over a longer period of time.

Better to prevent!

In principle, every dog can struggle with the heart in the course of its life, because there is no method that can be used to prevent heart disease in dogs. The fact is, however, the earlier the heart disease is discovered and treated, the higher the chances that life expectancy can be increased. In addition, your beloved four-legged friend is already helped a lot by paying attention to how you feed him and what goes on his plate - or rather in the bowl. Obesity is a great burden on the heart for us humans as well as for all other four-legged friends. In addition, it is advisable to pay attention to a low salt content, as this puts additional strain on the heart. A healthy and balanced diet with plenty of exercise is essential for a satisfied and happy dog life. Observe your dog and make a note of any abnormalities so that you can give your veterinarian as detailed a description as possible of your four-legged friend's symptoms.