A vet has shared four things dog owners “must know” – especially if their pet was aged seven and older. Amir Anwary stressed it was important to monitor a pet’s health, particularly those approaching their senior years.
Amir, who shares tips and tricks on TikTok as @amirthevet said a congestive heart failure was one of the “most common conditions” affecting older dogs. The Mirror reports he said many owners were unaware of the symptoms of the chronic condition, which prevents the heart from pumping blood efficiently, resulting in fluid build-up affecting lungs and limbs.
In a video posted on the platform, Amir said: “Most of the symptoms associated with heart failure are due to two things – a persistent cough. You’ll notice your dog begins to cough more, this will be especially bad in the morning. This happens due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.”
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He continued: “Number two is difficulty breathing. Your dog will start to pant a lot more and has very shallow breaths and this is also due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.
“Number three is fatigue. You’ll notice if you take your dog for a walk, they can’t keep up anymore and are getting tired faster. That’s because there isn’t enough oxygen going throughout their body and the muscles and tissues are simply not getting enough oxygen to keep going.”
The fourth red flag was a reduced appetite, he said, adding that as less blood and oxygen reaches the GI tract, it could cause a drop in hunger.
“If you are recognising any of these symptoms, please take your dog to a vet and have it checked out,” he said. His followers were quick to praise him for raising awareness with the video he’d captioned “a must know for all dog owners”.
One said: “I have a 13 year old dog with heart disease and kidney disease. Had I not started treating her last year she would not be with us.” Another shared: “My dog died a couple days ago from this. We tried everything we could but she didn’t make it. I’m glad you are bringing awareness into this.”
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