(doppler ultrasound) performed by a veterinarian experienced in interpreting the results. An x-ray and an EKG will also be required to see how much damage has already occurred.
What Are The SAS Treatment Choices I Have?
The most popular drugs used to treat SAS are known as beta blockers (ß-blockers). The most commonly used ones are propranolol (Inderal®) and atenolol (Tenormin®). Beta blockers reduce heart rate, help control abnormal heart rhythm and reduce blood pressure. They are proven in their ability to extend the lives of dogs with SAS.
Open heart surgery to correct a SAS problem in dogs has not been as successful as one might hope. Dogs that have had the surgery, live about as long as dogs that just receive medicine.
This technique is similar to the balloon angioplasties that are done to dilate blocked coronary arteries in humans. A catheter is threaded into the dog’s heart and a balloon is expanded in the narrowed area of the heart. So far, to the best of my knowledge, this technique has not been shown to lead to a longer life.
How Long Will A Puppy With SAS Heart Problems Live?
This is very difficult to predict. They younger a puppy is when a change in its energy level is first noticed and the louder the heart murmur, the bleaker its outlook. Most dogs with typical signs of SAS do not live over 3 years – even with medication. A cardiac work-up at a regional veterinary center that includes all the diagnostic tests, might give you more insight; but all pets with this condition can die with little or no warning.
Kissing Bugs And Chagas Disease
There are a group of blood sucking bugs that feed on the blood of sleeping dogs. They are called kissing bugs . These true bugs are found in hot humid climates all over the world. Where I live in South Texas, the Chagas disease parasite is transferred to dogs through the bite of our local kissing bugs . In the poorer areas in my region, 19.6 – 31.6% of the dogs have been exposed. (read here) One of the primary signs of Chagas disease in dogs are cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure. (read here) Veterinarians here are particularly suspicious that Chagas disease might be involved when a young dog that is negative for heartworms suddenly shows signs of heart failure. Besides keeping brush and leaf litter out of our dog’s outdoor environment I keep a 4% deltamethrin-impregnated flea/tick collar on our Labrador retriever, Maxx, (Scalibor®/Salvo® ) because that particular long-acting insecticide is thought to repel kissing bugs. (read here) If the new isoxazoline flea and tick collars might be an alternative is unknown. Read about those newer prescription flea and tick collars here . In humans, benznidazole is the only FDA-approved treatment for Chagas disease. But it is unlikely to be effective in dogs (or humans) once Chagas-related heart issues have begun.
I mentioned earlier that this problem was at one time more common due to a deficiency in the sulfamino acid, taurine in commercial cat foods – offal , slaughter house waste, grains or substitute carbohydrates are considerably cheaper than high quality meat. Mass pet food manufacturers tend to go with the cheapest ingredients. What goes into the product you buy is never what you see in the beautiful photos on the can or bag. Once veterinary nutritionists employed by the manufacturers knew that cats needed more taurine in their diet, all major brands of cat food have adequate taurine levels. Instead of better quality, they added cheaper synthesized taurine instead. (read here) Taurine deficiency in cats often caused their heart muscle to loose strength. Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy usually loose weight and eventually have difficulty breathing. Blood clots often formed in the hearts of these cats and then move to other parts of their body. These clots often lodge in the cat’s lumbar area where the aorta divides to service each hind leg. In this disease the walls of the heart thicken, leading to inefficient pumping of blood. Blood pressure rises and fluid accumulates in the lungs. Eventually the chambers of the heart enl