At Naperville Animal Hospital, experienced veterinarians care for dogs, cats, and other pets. The team at Naperville Animal Hospital draws on an in-depth understanding of veterinary diseases such as congestive heart failure.

1. Congestive Heart Failure in
Dogs - Causes and
Treatments
Naperville Animal Hospital

2. Introduction
 At Naperville Animal Hospital,
experienced veterinarians care for
dogs, cats, and other pets. The team at
Naperville Animal Hospital draws on
an in-depth understanding of
veterinary diseases such as congestive
heart failure.
In dogs as well as humans, congestive
heart failure occurs when the cardiac
muscles can no longer properly pump
blood to the lungs and the distal areas
of the body. The malfunction may be on
either or both sides of the heart, and it
often begins asymptomatically. Once
the body can no longer cope with the
deficiency in blood supply, however, the
lack of adequate flow causes fluid to
collect in the lungs.

3. CongestiveHeart
Failure
 The process may stem from a variety of
causes, including degeneration of the
valves and enlargement of the chambers
of the heart. Some dogs develop
congestive heart failure as a secondary
result of diseases like heartworm disease
or cancer, while others suffer from it as a
congenital condition.
If a dog's congestive heart failure stems
from another condition, treatment of that
condition can often resolve the problem,
while congenital heart failure itself can
respond to surgical correction of the
defect. Other cases are not curable and
instead must receive treatment, such as
medications and dietary changes, to
mitigate symptoms and improve the
animal’s quality of life.