The veterinary unit of Ridgefield’s Boehringer Ingelheim Corp. on Friday brings its canine health tour to Connecticut with free dog heart screenings.
Veterinary cardiologists on the Mobile Dog Heart Health Tour will stop with a soundproof medical unit to perform dog heart examinations at Bark Park in Ridgefield from 3 to 7 p.m.
Boehringer’s Vetmedica Inc. unit, based in St. Joseph, Mo., unit estimates that about 11 percent of the nearly 75 million dogs in the U.S. have heart disease, and that figure increases to as many as 60 percent among older dogs and certain breeds. Yet, a national survey shows that more than half of dog owners are unaware that their dog may be at risk of heart failure.
“Early diagnosis and treatment of heart failure can significantly prolong and improve the quality of a dog’s life,” says Dr. Andrea Lantis, a veterinary cardiologist with the tour.
Lantis will also educate dog owners about the most common symptoms of heart disease: reduced willingness to walk or exercise, difficulty breathing, coughing, loss of appetite and weight loss.
