How to Treat Aortic Stenosis in German Shorthaired Pointers
Get a veterinary diagnosis., Use medication to control the condition., Consider the option of open-heart surgery., Discuss the option of a balloon valvuloplasty with the veterinarian.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get a veterinary diagnosis.
Take your German shorthaired pointer to a veterinarian if you are worried about its health.
The veterinarian will carefully listen to the heart with a stethoscope and may perform other tests, such as an ultrasound, EKG (electrical) measurements, or radiographs to assess the heart and its electrical activity.
Typical signs and symptoms of aortic stenosis can include:
Heart murmur Cardiac arrhythmia Enlarged heart and aorta Congestive heart failure -
Step 2: Use medication to control the condition.
There are three options for treatment for dogs with aortic stenosis.
These include the use of medication to control symptoms, balloon valvuloplasty, and open heart surgery to correct the condition.
Medications, such as beta-blockers, are used to help the heart muscle relax enough to allow the heart chambers to fill with blood.Atenolol is a commonly used beta blocker used for this condition.
In a few cases medications are used to prevent the heart muscle from over building. , Open-heart surgery may be an option if you live in an area that has a specialized animal hospital that does the procedure.This is done to improve cardiac output function and to control arrhythmias.
Open heart surgery is a risky procedure requiring specialized equipment (heart-lung bypass machines) and is a very complex, risky and costly operation.
Because of the complexity and risk of this procedure, management with medication is the treatment of choice. , Balloon valvuloplasty is a less invasive surgical procedure than open heart surgery.
However, in dogs it has been found to only have a short-term effect, so therefore it is not routinely recommended.Balloon valvuloplasty and open heart surgery are procedures reserved for cardiac specialists in large teaching or specialty hospitals. -
Step 3: Consider the option of open-heart surgery.
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Step 4: Discuss the option of a balloon valvuloplasty with the veterinarian.
Detailed Guide
Take your German shorthaired pointer to a veterinarian if you are worried about its health.
The veterinarian will carefully listen to the heart with a stethoscope and may perform other tests, such as an ultrasound, EKG (electrical) measurements, or radiographs to assess the heart and its electrical activity.
Typical signs and symptoms of aortic stenosis can include:
Heart murmur Cardiac arrhythmia Enlarged heart and aorta Congestive heart failure
There are three options for treatment for dogs with aortic stenosis.
These include the use of medication to control symptoms, balloon valvuloplasty, and open heart surgery to correct the condition.
Medications, such as beta-blockers, are used to help the heart muscle relax enough to allow the heart chambers to fill with blood.Atenolol is a commonly used beta blocker used for this condition.
In a few cases medications are used to prevent the heart muscle from over building. , Open-heart surgery may be an option if you live in an area that has a specialized animal hospital that does the procedure.This is done to improve cardiac output function and to control arrhythmias.
Open heart surgery is a risky procedure requiring specialized equipment (heart-lung bypass machines) and is a very complex, risky and costly operation.
Because of the complexity and risk of this procedure, management with medication is the treatment of choice. , Balloon valvuloplasty is a less invasive surgical procedure than open heart surgery.
However, in dogs it has been found to only have a short-term effect, so therefore it is not routinely recommended.Balloon valvuloplasty and open heart surgery are procedures reserved for cardiac specialists in large teaching or specialty hospitals.
About the Author
Frances Chavez
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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