How Long Can a Pomeranian Live with an Enlarged Heart?

One of the more common heart diseases found among Pomeranians is an enlarged heart, which can be a heavily debilitating disease that can affect your Pomeranian’s life forever. Without being able to identify and treat an enlarged heart in your Pomeranian, you may be unnecessarily lowering their quality of life as well as shortening their lifespan.

So, how long can a Pomeranian live with an enlarged heart? A Pomeranian with an enlarged heart can live a normal lifespan (12-16 years) as long as the problem is identified and treated as early as possible. If an enlarged heart isn’t treated early enough, it could regress into worse heart disease that can drastically shorten a Pomeranian’s life.

There are so many reasons to keep our Pomeranians happy and healthy. Not only do we as Pomeranian parents owe it to our Pomeranians to ensure they live a good life, but we also owe it to those who are positively impacted by our Pomeranians. A happy, bouncy Pomeranian is such a joy, it would be terrible if something like an enlarged heart were to negatively impact their life and even shorten it.

How Long a Pomeranian Can Live with an Enlarged Heart

Several types of dog breeds are commonly diagnosed with an enlarged heart, which can be a tragic situation for dogs and their owners. From Deerhounds, Great Danes, Dobermans, Saint Bernards, Shepherds, and Pomeranians, this heart disease can affect a lot of pet families all over the world.

If your Pomeranian has an enlarged heart, it’s likely they were born with it. The sad truth about dogs with an enlarged heart is that it’s a genetic-based disease that’s passed down from generation to generation. Some dog breeds have a greater chance of being inflicted with an enlarged heart.

Thankfully, if you’re able to pinpoint your Pomeranian’s enlarged heart early on in their lives, through proper treatment and visits to your local veterinarian your Pomeranian can live a long, healthy, and comfortable life. I cannot stress enough how important it is to recognize the presence of this heart disease followed by immediate action. As long as you’re able to do that, your Pomeranian can a normal lifespan of 12 to 16 years.

It seems to be the case, however, that Pomeranian parents and other dog parents aren’t aware of the common health threats up against their own dogs. Without proper knowledge about the health problems that are common among your dog, it’s not unlikely that you’ll look past important signals that could indicate a fatal health disease.

A shortened lifespan for Pomeranians with an enlarged heart can occur if their owners aren’t able to notice the common symptoms of an enlarged heart early on followed by proper action. Even without noticing any symptoms, if you know that an enlarged heart is a common heart disease among Pomeranians, it’s best to be proactive and find out from your veterinarian before symptoms occur.

By letting an enlarged heart go untreated for any period of time can result in one of the most infamous fatal heart diseases called congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure is the leading cause of death among adult dogs and is irreversible if your Pomeranian is ever diagnosed with this terrible disease. Sadly, congestive heart failure is most commonly diagnosed in small dog breeds.

If gone untreated, an enlarged heart will eventually turn into congestive heart failure resulting in your Pomeranian lifespan almost certainly to be shortened. Depending on the stage of a Pomeranian’s congestive heart failure, veterinarians have been known to estimate a timeline between 2 months and 5 years. Regardless of the age of your dog, that’s just too short.

Unfortunately, the quality of life dogs experiences while living with congestive heart failure is often not a pretty one. Even when properly treated with a good diet, natural supplements, and safe medications, they won’t necessarily have the same quality of life. This can lead dog parents to the tough decision of whether or not to put their dog down. Only you as a Pomeranian parent can make that choice, but it would be much better if you didn’t have to by preventing it from happening in the first place.

What Is an Enlarged Heart in Dogs?

Knowing how long your Pomeranian can live if they’re diagnosed with an enlarged heart is definitely important information, but you be wonder what an enlarged heart is in the first place. Put simply, an enlarged heart, or dilated cardiomyopathy, is a hereditary or congenital heart disease most susceptible in male, small breed dogs. Due to unnaturally enlarged upper and lower valves in your dog’s heart, blood flow becomes abnormal.

An enlarged heart, or dilated cardiomyopathy, is a common heart disease among certain dogs and can potentially shorten their lives if gone undiagnosed. With the upper and lower chambers of your dog’s heart being abnormally large, a change in the blood flow circulating throughout your dog’s body is changed resulting in abnormal heart and lung behavior.

When the lower chamber of a dog’s heart becomes larger than normal, the heart is less able to pump blood well-enough into their lungs resulting in a deterioration of the body as a whole. Sadly, this can lead to not enough blood flowing to your dog’s lungs, which can cause fluid buildup that can lead to other health issues.

The sad truth is if your dog has an enlarged heart that goes untreated, over time their heart will become overloaded because it can’t keep up with pumping enough blood throughout your dog’s body. When you combine that overload with a lower immune system, fluid buildup in the lungs, and other negative health issues, this will inevitably lead to congestive heart failure and thus a shortened lifespan for your dog.

If you suspect your dog has an enlarged heart, you should absolutely take them your local vet as soon as possible. The earlier you’re able to address this issue from the get-go, the better chances your dog has to live a long and happy life with you and your loved ones.

How to Spot If Your Pomeranian Has an Enlarged Heart

The best way to ensure your Pomeranian is able to combat any health problem they’re likely to confront is to take proper action right away when you see the glaring warning signs. Better than that, making sure you take your Pomeranian to the vet regularly will virtually guarantee you being able to spot these issues right around the corner, but knowing the symptoms of an enlarged heart in your Pomeranian is an incredibly valuable first step.

Some of the most common enlarged heart symptoms in Pomeranians and other dogs include:

  • Lethargy, easily tired
  • No appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Rapid breathing
  • Excessive coughing
  • Potbelly appearance
  • Passing out

Any dog that shows a handful of these symptoms could very likely have a number of heart disease commonly found in dogs, but it can certainly be the case your Pomeranian has an enlarged heart as well. If you notice any of these symptoms in your Pomeranian, your best bet is to take them straight to your local vet and tell them exactly the situation your Pomeranian is in.

If you catch an enlarged heart in your Pomeranian early, you should feel relieved because I’m here to tell you that you can keep your Pomeranian from having a shorter, more debilitating life. Treating an enlarged heart doesn’t require any risky surgeries or expensive prescription medications. All you need is to ensure your Pomeranian gets enough exercise, eats high-quality dog food, and takes natural heart supplements every day.

What Is Congestive Heart Failure in Dogs?

As I previously mentioned, congestive heart failure in dogs is the most infamous heart disease found because it’s the leading cause of death among virtually all dog breeds. It can shorten the lifespan of any dog that’s diagnosed with this scary heart disease regardless of their prior physical health or current treatments.

Congestive heart failure occurs when your dog’s heart is unable to pump enough blood throughout the body. When this happens, fluid will accumulate in a dog’s lungs as well as their internal body cavities, which makes it more and more difficult for their heart to enough pump blood. As you may be able to tell, this becomes a process that just gets worse and worse, resulting in your dog’s heart to overwork and eventually fail.

The symptoms you’ll want to look out for when it comes to congestive heart failure in dogs include:

  • Persistent coughing
  • Difficult or rapid breathing
  • Difficulty exercising
  • Weakness or tiredness
  • Fainting episodes
  • Gray or blue gums
  • Weight loss and muscle deterioration
  • Abdominal distention
  • Swollen limbs
  • Collapsing
  • Sudden death

There are four stages of congestive heart failure, and, depending on when you catch it, you can at least alleviate the pain and discomfort your dog will experience while living a life with congestive heart failure. Unfortunately, dogs diagnosed with congestive heart failure are almost certain to live a shorter than normal life, so most dog parents end up focusing on making them feel comfortable.