i ask this because my dog is occasionally lethargic, but other days not. over the past few months my dog has seemed overly tired some days and ok others (she's only 5)...we've had blood tests done and they were fine. I'll talk to the vet, but if this were heart disease, would it get continually worse over months? she's not coughing or having breathing problems thanks for your answers...I feel less worried now :)
Dogs - 7 Answers
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1 :
It's definately possible. There's no law as to how fast heart disease progresses. Of course it depends on the disease and the nature of it. I'm sure the symptoms can wax and wane with somedays being better than others. I'm sure your vet can give you a far more indepth answer as he knows more of your dogs situation than any of us. :) I hope your dog feels better soon!
2 :
Lethargy can be indicate of hundreds of conditions, heart disease one of them, but not without other symptoms. If she was having generalized heart disease with lethargy or weakness, you'd expect decreased urine output, coughing, increase breathing, murmurs, and increase heart rate among other things. It does get progressively worse, just like in humans. I don't know that there's any reason to think that the lethargy is being caused by heart disease (versus any other of the possible causes). If you're concerned, bring your dog to the vet. Your vet will be sure to find heart disease if it exists.
3 :
Depends on the severity of the problem - goes from Grade 1 to Grade 5 - but your dog hasn't been diagnosed with heart disease, so why worry. If she did have it, there are all sorts of medications now to control it in dogs - it's far from a death sentence. We have taken several dogs into our rescue with heart problems, they are o.k., some just need regular medication - no big deal usually.
4 :
Actually it can get worse if not brought to the vet immediately and cured. But if it is not abnormal, maybe he is just getting old . Did you know that a dogs age is x7? Example if he is 3 years dog age, that is 21 years human age
5 :
There are a few different types of heart disease, so yes talking with the vet is what you should be doing. No one can narrow it down to what is going on. Make sure to ask the vet to do a blood test. What you have described really can be a number of things, could be associated with the heart, could be something to do with the nerves, the immune system...really anything Until you see one, make up a journal of everything that is going on, even write down things that to you may not seem important..you never know they very well could be.
6 :
Yes, it would worsen over time. Lethargy is just one symptom, and on its own doesn't necessarily mean that your dog has a heart problem. Your Vet would want to listen to the heart to see if there is a murmur present, or do x-rays to see if the heart is enlarged. An EKG or ultrasound may also be recommended. At 5yrs, heart disease is relatively rare - unless you have breed such as a Dobie that is prone to heart problems. Advanced heart disease would certainly cause coughing due to fluid backing up into the lungs, as well as exercise intolerance, difficulty breathing (turns blue easily) or fainting. Note: heart disease is not detected by doing routine bloodwork. However, you may want to see if the bloodwork included a thyroid level. Hypothyroid dogs can tire easily and seem lethargic. They also tend to put on weight fairly easy - even if they aren't eating much. At this point, I wouldn't jump to a diagnosis of heart disease. But I would certainly advise getting her in to see the Vet sometime soon to discuss her lethargy.
7 :
Unfortunately, yes. Do you know what is wrong with her heart? My dog, like my last, has a heart murmur and although she does not display and symptoms like coughing or fainting yet, (she is now 6 years old). He said the murmur has gotten worse in the last few months and she really needs an EKG done and a cardiologist to look at it. They have meds to slow the deterioration of the heart, and give a little more time. The earlier you start, the better they work from what I understand. Its hard and sad knowing years in advance what you dog is going to die from. The best of luck to both of you, and talk to your vet
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