Robyn Caulfield at (913) 663-4200
Mobile Dog Heart Health Tour
Mobile
Exam Room Stopping in
Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles
Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles
WHEN: Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Ocean Beach Dog Beach
(W. Point Loma Boulevard & Voltaire Street)
Heart disease in dogs is almost as common as it is in humans. About 11 percent of the nearly 75 million dogs in the United States have heart disease, and that figure increases to as many as 60 percent among dogs over age 5 and certain predisposed breeds. Yet a national survey shows that more than half of dog owners are unaware that their dog may be at risk.
This April, at dog parks and beaches in Las Vegas, San Diego, and Los Angeles, veterinary cardiologists will offer free dog heart screenings. They will listen for murmurs and other abnormal heart sounds using a stethoscope from inside a special soundproof mobile exam room, as well as assess for other signs of heart disease. In addition to performing free heart exams, veterinarians will be available to answer questions about heart disease from dog owners. The veterinarians on tour hope to teach dog owners how to look for the common presenting symptoms of heart disease, such as reduced willingness to walk or exercise, difficulty breathing, coughing, loss of appetite and weight loss.
When heart disease progresses and impairs the ability of the heart to meet the body’s needs, the term congestive heart failure (CHF) is used. While there is no cure, CHF is treatable and clinical studies have shown that when diagnosed early and treated, dogs live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life. QUEST (Quality of Life and Extension of Survival Time), the largest clinical study of dogs with CHF ever conducted, revealed that dogs treated with the medication Vetmedin lived nearly twice as long when Vetmedin was included in their therapy. Boehringer Ingelheim, the exclusive U.S. manufacturer of Vetmedin, has organized the Mobile Dog Heart Health tour to educate the public about heart disease in dogs and the benefits of early diagnosis and treatment.
To find out more about heart disease and have your dog’s heart screened join us at this free pet event April 4th at Ocean Beach Dog Beach!