Treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the pericarditis. All dogs with this disease will need to be hospitalized in an intensive care unit. Chemotherapy will be prescribed if there are cancerous neoplastic (abnormal tissue growth) conditions, and bacterial infections will be treated with the appropriate antibiotics. A pericardectomy surgery to remove part of the pericardium may also be necessary.
This condition will sometimes reoccur. If signs of illness return at anytime after taking your dog home, call your veterinarian immediately for advisement.
The sac of membranes that hold the heart
Inflammation of the pericardium
A record of body structures using an x-ray
Something that is related to the whole body and not just one particular part or organ
An in-depth examination of the properties of urine; used to determine the presence or absence of illness
The term for the membrane around the heart
Relating to a disease of unknown origin, which may or may not have arisen spontaneously
A large blood vessel that transports blood out of the heart.
The amount of pressure applied by the blood on the arteries.
The escape of fluid or blood into tissues or body spaces or cavities
A record of the activity of the myocardium
a) living in an environment lacking free oxygen b) pertaining to an organism with the ability to live in an environment lacking free oxygen.