Publisher's Synopsis
Most pet owners find out their dog has a heart murmur during its yearly health checkup. A listen with a stethoscope should always be part of your pet's yearly examination. When a murmur is detected, the vet needs to make some other observations and, perhaps, run some tests even though your pet appears completely healthy. If your dog lives in a heartworm-prone area, they may want to run a heartworm antigen test. They will listen more thoroughly to your pet's lungs and palpate its abdomen for the presence of excess fluid. They will press on your dog's gums and check how long the pressed area stays pale and they will feel your pet's femoral pulse to judge its strength. They may look for evidence of a jugular pulse in the veins of its neck - something that shouldn't be. Depending on the vet's finding, they may suggest additional blood tests or a chest x-ray. When heart failure is more advanced, owners tend to bring their pets in because of a group of problems that they say came on very gradually. The most common one is a dry cough. Most owners will say that this cough is worst when the dog is resting. It is also common that the dog doesn't play as much as it used to and lays around more. They may notice that it breathes faster than it once did and is reluctant to climb stairs or hop onto the bed. These dogs are in still in early heart failure. "Enalapril for Dogs and Cats" was written so the average pet owner like you and me can better understand dog and cat heart problems. Once you understand, you can do certain things to make your pet more comfortable and live longer.
