American Staffordshire terrier is not the most healthy and heartfelt of breeds, but unfortunately dogs tend to suffer from congenital health. Several medical conditions have not been known to cause serious health problems until recently. Veterinary medicine discovered that American Staffordshire Terrier is prone to certain congenital diseases classified as heart diseases, especially congenital heart disease. This condition is called CHD, it is from the time the puppy was born. It is different from acquired heart disease which is a condition that develops later in life. CHD is rare, but it can lead to serious heart failure and dog death.
Heart failure occurs when the heart can not fulfill the blood's requirements because the heart can not normally eject. The problem of pumping results in supplementation of blood to other important organs of the body, as well as lungs and heart. The blood vessel contracts, and in general the dog experiences an increase in blood pressure. If there is pressure from the blood in the blood vessel, liquid may leak out and accumulate in the body fluid, the lung may become congested, and it may happen also in the liver. Symptoms of CHD may be difficult to pinpoint when presenting at an early stage. The dog becomes inactive and can cough after intense activity. These may be warning signs of CHD. Dogs may also become lethargic, lose weight, feel sick, quickly tighten pants and show swollen abdomen when suffering from CHD. Sometimes CHD causes fluctuations in blood flow through the heart, while a veterinarian hears the noise of turbulence when listening to the chest of a dog with a stethoscope.
Septal defect means that there is a passageway between the ventricles that the dogs were not born after they were born, with holes in the heart. There are many other types of birth defects that may affect American Staffordshire terrier, which may be fatal. If heart disease is suspected, take the dog to the veterinarian immediately for examination. Owners should be aware of the fact that American Staffordshire Terrier can die without showing external symptoms of CHD or other congenital heart disease. Regular veterinary screening is always done to monitor or detect hidden defects that dogs possibly can possess, and can save the dog's life.
There are various conditions that are regarded as CHD. One example is the state called the patent Ductus Arteriosus, which occurs when a small blood vessel connecting the two aortaes of the heart does not close after the dog is born. Small blood vessels are essential during fetal development. Because it bypasses immature lungs that still can not properly oxygenate the blood. After the dog is born, if the vessel remains open, blood can not circulate normally. Another condition is called lung stenosis, and due to stenosis blood from the right side of the heart can not flow normally into the lungs. Perhaps the most common dog's condition of all CHD deficits will be aortic stenosis that occurs when blood from the left side of the heart can not reach the rest of the body.
Although CHD can not be prevented, symptoms can be detected and treated at an early stage in due diligence or regular veterinary care. CHD need not lead to the death of the dog, and some forms can be modified through early medical intervention. You should never take one of the warning signs of CHD and always make sure that your pet has the best veterinary care possible.
