Heart Attack

[Appylvr]

I was wondering how common it is for dogs to have a heart attack? Is it something that happens a lot or not too much? I was telling someone about my dog Koda just dying from a heart attack and they said they had never heard of that happening in a dog (she's really not a dog person though)... so it made me wonder.

[Lessica Jake]

I think it's fairly common. I know my uncle's husky cross had a heart attack and died from it.

[Blaze]

I know of a few dogs who have died from heart attacks too so I don't think it's uncommon.

[frankie]

The vets have warned me that this is how Fireking will probably go. Either all his organs will just shut down or it will be very quick with a heart attack so I would say it is quite the norm.

[mara]

If you want to get technical, the actual cause would probably be "cardiac arrest". Although in medical discussions Heart attack and Cardiac arrest are 2 separate things, the terms are often used interchangeably. Most people equate heart attack with the heart stopping although that in not always the case. My Emily had 2 cardiac arrests but I usually refer to them as heart attacks because that's what people who don't work in cardiology call any ailment that causes sudden death.

There--how about that for a dull and boring thought!!!

[SalemsMom]

My older dog Maggie died of heart failure, she was so happy, and came in the house with a big grin, because she went swimming and knew she wasn't suppose to go there, and then a look of shock, and pain, and she was dead before she hit the floor. It was that quick.

[weezyNollie]

I think the other part of why "cardiac arrest" or heart attacks aren't familiar sounding in veterinary medicine is because our patients don't speak to us.

They don't say hey DOC, my left arm hurts, or my chest hurts really bad.

It's also hard to prove deaths (without necropsy) of why a dog collapses and dies. Could it be internal hemorrhage from a tumor on the spleen or liver (hemagiosarcoma), could it have been blood clot, could it have been cardiac arrest (but not so sudden as a heart attack may be, but due to CHF (congestive heart failure that was never diagnosed), etc etc.

I think cardiac arrest is very possible, but I feel that it happens more likely in trauma/ER cases, and secondary to other things going on.. such as HBC, lots of blood loss, etc.

[mara]

Actually, alot of humans can't tell us their symptoms--therefore sudden cardiac arrest. It happens too fast to have any complaints. Happened to my Dad. He was sitting on a chair lift at a ski hill and collapsed--no warning, no symptoms, just died. A paramedic was sitting with him and he was not able to revive my Dad. The most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest, which was probably what happened to my Dad and my Boxer (ironically) is arrhythmia, either rapid irregular heart rhythm or severe slowing of the heart until it stops.
CHF is always associated with shortness of breath of some degree due to lung congestion by fluid. Traumatic cardiac arrest would be proceeded by some sort of struggling effort by the victim.
Pulmonary blood clot, definately can cause a sudden cardiac arrest.
The pain in the arm and/or chest is symptom of a Heart Attack--there isn't time to complain of pain in a cardiac arrest.

[pung-yo]

Frankie, I was just wondering how Fireking was doing when I found your post about heart attack. Is he still holding his own or not so good? I hope he makes it through the summer. Keep me up to date, I don't seem to find you on the threads too much. How's the job situation? Guess you probably really don't need a job right now with Fireking. Good luck, I'm always thinking of you guys and keeping my fingers crossed.

[Appylvr]

My dad had a massive heart attack 4 years ago. He almost died 3 times and had to stay in the hospital for over 3 weeks. It was an extremely scary time... for all of us. He said when he saw Koda that that was what happened to him.