The death of a pet, especially if it is unexpected, is a painful and overwhelming experience that no owner would ever want to experience. The sudden death in dogs can manifest as in people. Fortunately, there are a few ways to prevent it.
For years, medicine has questioned and studied the different manifestations of this serious and unusual problem that affects humans and animals alike. But what lies behind sudden death in dogs ? Let’s try to shed some light on the subject, thanks to the following article.
Heart disease: a leading cause of sudden death in dogs
There are many causes that can lead your pet to suffer from sudden death syndrome. They can be congenital, caused by an unknown pathology or appear as a result of trauma.
One of the most common causes is the presence of heart disease, especially arrhythmias, clots and cardiomyopathies , that is, those diseases that affect the heart muscle.
The dilation of the heart muscle affects the animal’s ability to pump blood . It also produces poor circulation, irregular heartbeat, and heart failure. It is the most common heart disease in dogs . In cats, so-called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is usually the one that has the greatest impact .
Your pet could die unexpectedly before the appearance of a clot of blood in a coronary artery, which would ultimately lead to a heart attack.
Diagnosed early, heart disease can be treated and poses no threat to your dog. One of the best forms of prevention is based on determining which diseases are usually most common in a particular breed . For example, specimens belonging to the Cavalier King Charles spaniel variety may have problems with their mitral valve.
The threat of toxic substances and internal bleeding
You may have a large and impulsive breed of dog that tends to play a little aggressively with the risk of getting injured easily. Dogs communicate their pain differently than people and, many times, even very serious injuries are not treated at least until their extreme criticality is noticed.
The worst bleeding usually occurs when an animal falls to the ground from a considerable height. In these cases, it is essential to call the veterinary emergency room and leave the dog where it is, without moving it, so as not to cause further damage.
As for toxic substances, we must mention that 18,000 cases of pet poisoning were reported in the United States in 2016. In Italy, in the same year, more than 23,500 dogs were poisoned , according to data published by the environmental NGO AIDAA.
When an animal ingests poison, it is usually possible to notice a number of clear symptoms . These allow the owner to realize that something is going wrong. Obviously, the first thing to do is take him to the vet. Some poisons , however, act too fast and, once ingested, there is not much for the poor animal to do.
If you suspect that there may be people in your area leaving poisoned food in dog parks or openly threatening animals, do not hesitate to file a complaint and always have the dog wear a muzzle when walking. Although this is an extreme measure, it is good advice to protect his health, as these animals often put their faces where they shouldn’t.
