Arrhythmias – The dog’s electrical system in the body isn’t telling the heart how to beat.

Pericardial Disease – There is a sac that surrounds the heart and it fills with fluid preventing the heart from beating normally.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy – This disease affects the muscle of the heart impairing the ability to pump normally. As it progresses, the chambers of the heart become enlarged and valves leak.

Mitral Valve Disease – The heart valves start to leak causing poor circulation and blood pressure.

Chronic Valvular Heart Disease – The heart valves thicken and become impaired.

NOTE FROM BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK: Please, if your dog has any of the signs and symptoms mentioned in this artcle, contact your vet as soon as possible, this is not something you want to play around with.

Do you know the Symptoms of Dog Congestive Heart Failure?

Symptoms Of Dog Congestive Heart Failure depend on progression unfortunately, symptoms appear when the heart actually starts to fail.

So what are the common signs that a dog might be in a mild heart failure?

Weight loss, no appetite, vomiting, lethargic, weak, coughing (noticeable at night), and also difficulty breathing.

Do you know what the symptoms are that often occur when a dog is in severe heart failure?

Here is a list of the most common markers-

diarrhea, loss of energy, edema (build up of fluid in the body tissues/cavity), fainting, swollen abdomen (ascites) and limbs, Also on this list is poor circulation – tongue and gum’s are blue in color (monitor your dog’s circulation by checking capillary refill time in your dog’s gum’s– see instructions below.) Other symptoms include depression, difficulty breathing at all times – even when resting,  excessive thirst and urination along with exercise intolerance (can be a first sign of heart failure – fluid builds in the lungs). the dog will also have an increased heart rate and a weak pulse

Here is a very important at home check that everyone should be aware of. Yes, this is something you can do at home. You can monitor your dog’s capillary refill time (CRT). This little test tells how the blood, lungs and heart are doing. 

What is this test and why would that be improtant?

What you are looking for here is how quickly the color returns to your dog’s gum’s when pressure is applied then released. This little test tells how the blood, lungs and heart are doing. How well blood and oxygen are reaching the cells.

There are many little capillaries in dogs gum’s and applying pressure to the vessels forces blood out of the capillaries. Once pressure is released, blood should immediately refill the capillaries in roughly 1-2 seconds which is considered the normal refill time. To give you a better understanding, try this on yourself: firmly press the tip of your own fingernail and watch it turn white; now release and the blood immediately flows back returning the nail to normal color. Note – Be sure to take notice of the actual color of your dog’s gums before you start. Most healthy gum’s are pink. Note – Don’t check the gum’s when he first wakes up because they will be paler in color (wait approx. 10 minutes), or right after exercise ,because they will be pinker. Press your finger against the dog’s gum line over the canine tooth applying pressure until the gum’s turn white underneath your finger and then release. Once you release your finger.  That same area should appear white or paler than the surrounding gum’s.
If the gum’s are yellow (liver problem), blue, pale or white – seek veterinary assistance immediately. It’s also recommended that if the refill time is less than one second or more than 3 seconds, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Dog heart disease requires sodium restrictions so watch your dog’s treat ingredients as well as his meal.  AND, if you have a water softener in your home – give your dog bottled water. Water softeners contain a high amount of sodium.  

How common is heart disease in dogs? About 10% of all dogs have heart disease.

Most importantly, the incidence of heart disease increases dramatically with age.

The incidence of heart disease increases to more than 60% in aged dogs. This is particularly the case in dogs with valvular heart disease:
About 10% of dogs between the ages of 5 and 8 years are affected3 20-25% of dogs between the ages of 9 and 12 years are affected.  30-35% of dogs more than 13 years are affected.  75% of dogs over 16 years are affected.

If your dog has been diagnosed with heart disease, don't lose hope. With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment and management, you increase your dog's opportunity to live a more normal life

Tell us your story of a canine member of your family and his or her battle against heart disease.

How Will Heart Disease Affect My Dog?

Most forms of heart disease will, unfortunately, eventually result in heart failure.

Heart failure occurs when the heart, weakened by disease, fails to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.

If your dog has been diagnosed with heart disease, don't panic. With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment and management, you increase your dog's opportunity to live a more normal life. Your Dog's Heart Your dog’s heart is just like yours. It’s a four-chambered pump made of muscle.The four chambers are separated by heart valves which ensure that blood can only flow in one direction.

Diagnostic Tests Besides listening to your dog’s heart for evidence of a heart murmur, your veterinarian may recommend some other tests to help diagnose your dog’s condition.

Common tests include:

Radiograph—commonly known as an X-ray, to allow a veterinarian to view your dog’s internal organs, such as the heart, and identify abnormalities
Blood testing—to assess your dog’s cardiovascular health through: Identification of a cardiac biomarker called NT-proBNP that signifies stretching of the heart’s chambers Analysis of chemistry and complete blood count (CBC) to evaluate different elements of your dog’s blood Blood pressure test—to find out if your dog’s blood is flowing properly or if there is resistance in the bloodstream

Electrocardiogram (ECG)—to evaluate the electrical activity of your dog’s heart to measure and diagnose abnormal heart rhythms Echocardiogram—an ultrasound evaluation of your dog’s heart that can assess valvular function, identify leaking valves, and measure cardiac output

http://www.yourdogsheart.com/

In part 1 of "Why does my dog chew his paws?" we reviewed and tried to eliminate several areas for our list of possible causes including stress, skin infections and external parasites. That leaves boredom and allergic reactions for me to look into. Unlike other years where our fosters exhibited itchy skin, one of our dogs is currently suffering from what I call "Dreaded Paw Chewing"

Boredom and "Energy in Excess" can cause dogs that are bored or have too much energy to find a means to spend their time, and most often it will be in the form of a destructive behavior. Chewing paws is common and may be stopped by making sure the dog gets plenty of exercise and sufficient attention. I can see where a high energy dog like a Boston Terrier could have this problem.

If you are absent for a long time during the day, you should consider a daycare or a dog sitter.¹ While it is true we are not a very exciting place to be, we try to keep our dogs calm. They a large grassy yard to play in several hours at a time off and on all day. And many toys of various types are always scattered around the yard.  We try to get out in the yard with them several times a day to play and amuse them. If only one or two of them exhibited this symptom I might consider this more. 

 But there are still other possibilities that might fit them closer for a cause.. I am looking for a broad spectrum cause. A dog with an emotional problem may chew on his paws. This destructive behavior can lead to secondary skin infections, hair loss or even permanent damage to the skin.¹  Well maybe one of our fosters might have this. But, Many times we have 10 dogs here, so unless it is mass hysterics (can this happen with dogs?), I do not think this is it either.. 

I have decided that what I am seeing is probably a allergic reaction. Allergic reactions can cause dogs to chew their paws. The allergies can be caused by inhalants, different materials or even food. Many dogs are just as reactive as humans, to grasses and pollen. Antihistamines or steroid creams can ease the skin itchiness, but a long term treatment should be established.¹   One very common reason dogs chew their paws is in response to a skin problem caused by allergies.  Dogs can have allergic reactions to food, environmental and seasonal factors, and through contact with certain household objects, like rugs. (since we have few rugs in our house wiping surfaces with damp cloths to collect dust and allergens is much easier.

 In our environment, I have narrowed our dog's symptoms to "seasonal allergies". If only one dog was effected I might have considered the dog food. Because we have already removed dog foods that contain corn, wheat and other grains (these are thought to be culprits for the dog allergies and auto-immune disorders). I am also aware that "the meat by-products contained in most dog foods are made from cattle, chickens and animals that have been fed growth hormones, antibiotics, even liquid methane, as our industrialized food and agribusiness corporations seek cheaper, faster methods to produce our human, and our dogs’ foods". Because I cook most of our food these dogs are getting, I do have greater control over their content, we are able to limit the non food additives that make their way into commercial dog foods.

Pesticides are a common suspect for dog allergies. Be aware of using too many pesticides around your home or garden. It might be giving your dog itchy skin. This includes flea medications. This is an especially difficult issue because fleas cause dog skin allergies, which can lead to infections, sores, and the cycle begins. Mites, fleas, ticks and other parasites could be the trigger that is causing your dog to chew his or her paws. Fortunately, this trigger is easily identified.

Plants, grasses and pollens are a common source of allergies in dogs. With recent changes in rainfall patterns across the world, pollen counts are extremely high in some regions and your dog may be exposed to pollens in higher amounts than ever in his life. Allergies in dogs from plant pollens have skyrocketed in recent years and many veterinarians believe it could be due to increased rainfall.

I am learning something new that I should mention. Did you know: Contact allergies can show themselves by swelling on the surface of the skin and redness, in addition to itching and hair loss. Plants, grass, wool, a new dog bed, pesticides including flea collars, or anything new to your dog’s environment could all be likely causes. The spraying of odor absorbent or masking substances, like Febreeze or any of a dozen “pet odor eliminators” in the dog’s bed or on the carpet could also be the cause!  Although this is an uncommon form of allergy, it could be a likely suspect in chronic paw chewing.

Another possible irritant
If the skin on your dog’s body seems fine, and only the skin on his feet is raw, irritated, red, cracked, bleeding or losing hair, the culprit is probably the grass in your yard.   Over the last decade, lawn grasses have been genetically modified to be uniform, green and weed resistant. The grass in our yards contains pesticides and herbicides built in to their DNA. These grasses may be one of the primary, unexamined causes of the rise in paw chewing and dog skin allergies. Although the grass in your yard or park could be a likely trigger, planting a new yard is expensive and in many cases simply not feasible.

If your dog displays other allergic signs, like hair loss on other parts of his body, runny, yellow discharge from his eyes, ear infections, rash under his legs or around his rectum, coughing or sneezing, the allergy is probably not caused by your grass. Look for other triggers first. Start by enlisting the help of your vet.  I am at a loss, it may be pollen or something else in the air I will have to keep searching! But then again it just may be my grass!
¹www.vetinfo.com
 ² www.professorshouse.com/Pets/Dogs/Training/Articles/Dogs-Who-Chew-Their-Paws

 Kayla Bee is a 7 mo. old female Boston Terrier.  She has been spayed and is UTD on vaccines. 
She was rescued from a shelter in the Florida panhandle. According to the foster she loves to play and has lots of energy.  She has a tendency to be dominant so she would do best in a home with other pets that would be able to handle her personality.  A fenced yard is required.

  
If you want additional information on me, please send an e-mail to BTRETofFla@gmail.com and someone will get back with you shortly. Her adoption fee is $325.

The process always begins with an application which can be found at www.bostonterriertn.org. Note that in most cases, we do not adopt to families with small children, e.g., "under 6," as a precaution to the child's safety and the dog's safety.