Old Dog Health: exploring the link between heart failure and seizures

Call the Vet - an insider's guide to dog and cat health

Increasing age can bring increasing health complexity and in this episode, we unpack a complex listener-submitted scenario about a 14-year-old Chihuahua battling congestive heart failure and mysterious seizures.
This episode is packed with invaluable insights, from understanding heart murmurs to dissecting the causes behind seizures in older dogs, with insights for all pet parents with older animals.
🚨 Did you know? A heart murmur isn’t always an indicator of overt heart failure in dogs! 🐶
1️⃣ Dr. Alex explains that a heart murmur simply indicates turbulent blood flow, which could be due to a leaky valve but doesn't necessarily mean that heart failure is present.
2️⃣ Seizures in older dogs are rarely due to epilepsy; the causes are often much more complex, ranging from organ disease to brain lesions.
3️⃣ Monitoring a pet’s sleeping respiratory rate at home can be a simple yet effective way to gauge heart health over time.
4️⃣ Diagnostic steps include full blood testing, urine testing, X-rays, and possibly an echocardiogram or MRI to pinpoint the exact health issues.
Dive into further resources in the full show notes: https://ourpetshealth.com/podcast/dog-heart-failure-and-seizures
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