Congestive heart failure in dogs means that there is a functional change in the structure of the dog’s heart. The heart is no longer able to pump blood efficiently. Fluid accumulates in the lungs and abdominal regions. This is obviously a serious condition and one which has a very poor medical prognosis – rarely more than a year after diagnosis and often much less.
Some breeds are more affected than others, in particular Dobermans. But all breeds, even mongrels, can be affected because the heart is the dogs’ weakest link, their Achilles heel.
First signs are difficulty breathing, both at rest and at the least exertion. Their appetite lessens and you can see an increase in the size of their abdomen as the fluid starts to accumulate.
Tests can be done to confirm the diagnosis such as electrocardiograms, X-rays and cardiac ultrasound.
Your vet will prescribe a host of drugs, but this will do little to prolong your dog’s life.
You may be able to reverse this serious problem by opting for a natural approach to your dog’s health. The prognosis will depend on various factors such as the age of your dog, how bad the condition is, how advanced it is and the health history of your dog. However, unless you try, you will never know. And I believe that your dog has a far better chance of survival under a natural approach.
Natural dogs health looks at your dog’s life in total – health history, living environment, relationship with family members and other animals, diet, current health care, and much more.
Where necessary, changes are made to ease the artificial (and so stressful) aspects of your dog’s situation. When you can ease the stress, the load on the heart is lessened.
Once you know how to give your dog the best and most harmonious lifestyle, then you are in effect, removing the very cause that created the problem in the first place. If your dog is able to, he will recover.
Even if he can’t fully recover, you can improve the quality of his remaining days, even extend those somewhat.
And when you know how to keep a dog in a natural way, then you can prevent it happening to your next dog.
Dogs give generously. It’s up to us to be as generous back. Oddly this generosity isn’t necessarily financial. More often it’s recognising the need to change your current beliefs, big and scary though this may be.
Natural dogs health can make all the difference to your dog’s life.
