Love your dog? Valentine’s Day is over, but if you keep your dog’s heart healthy, you’ll celebrate many more holidays together.
Listen to your dog’s heart The best place to hear a dog’s heart is on the left side where the elbow meets the chest. A normal heart rate (figured in beats per minute) for a large dog is 70 to 100 bpm; medium dog hearts beat between 80-110; small dogs and puppies vary from 100-120. It’s helpful to know what’s normal for your dog when he’s relaxed.
Find your dog’s recovery time Measure the heart rate before, during, and after runs. It shouldn’t take longer than a minute or two to return to resting heart rate after a run.
Test your dog for heartworm Mosquitoes transmit this blood parasite from infected dogs to uninfected ones. Although most common along the Eastern seaboard and the Delta regions, heartworm disease has been diagnosed in every state in the country. A simple blood test can assure you that your dog doesn’t carry these worms. Need to know more? Check out www.heartwormsociety.org
Take a bite out of heart disease Bad teeth harbor bacteria that can seep into the bloodstream and can set up colonies that cause disease in places like the heart valves and other important organs. February is National Pet Dental Health month and many veterinary clinics offer discounted services on dental care now.
Treat your dog right Too many treats and not enough exercise can make pets pudgy. Good hearts have to work harder to circulate blood around all that extra weight. Choose low calorie treats and reward your dog with your attention. His heart will be happier.
Schedule annual check ups for your dog I’m a vet. Of course I’m going to tell you to do this! If there’s a problem- the sooner we find out about it, the easier it can be to treat.
If your dog is a breed known for having heart problems- Boxers, Great Danes, King Charles Cavaliers, Dobermans, and Newfies, to name a few- make sure your veterinarian spends extra time listening to your dog’s heart. It may be helpful to invest in getting baseline blood tests and ECG’s for high risk breeds.
Get regular exercise! It’s good for everybody and you’ll be ready to run with DogRunDog when a race comes to your area…
Wholeheartedly,
Liz Devitt, DVM