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City Vets

Fact File—Heart disease in dogs

Some heart disease is congenital and affects a dog from birth , these conditions are relatively uncommon. More usual are heart diseases which develop during the dogs life mostly in middle aged dogs . These account for 95% of all heart disease in dogs.

Usually the condition is irreversible by the time obvious symptoms are present but the earlier the diagnosis the easier it often is to manage the condition . An annual health check is useful to highlight any problems . The most common acquired heart diseases are

Chronic valvular disease (CVD)

The valves of the heart become thickened and hard as a result the circulation of blood becomes reduced causing many different symptoms . These include exercise intolerance ,coughing and weakness . Chronic valvular disease can affect any dog but is most common in small dogs like the cavalier king Charles ,Chihuahua and Maltese . Thankfully we have a range of useful medications to help modify the effects of CVD and most dogs can lead a comfortable life .

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)

This is the most common disease of the myocardium [heart muscle] in dogs . The heart muscle is unable to expand and contract correctly . The cause is often unknown but can be caused by certain nutritional deficiencies ,viral infections and medications . There is thought to be a genetic link also since it is seen  mainly in certain breeds and mostly in male dogs . Failure of heart muscle causes a reduced ability to pump blood around the body . This disease is very unpredictable and difficult to treat . DCM mainly affects large breed dogs e.g. Dobermans , Wolfhounds ,Great Danes and St Bernard’s

Arrhythmias

The heart is triggered to beat by electrical impulses from the brain if , these are interrupted the heart may stop causing death but more commonly the dog suffers from an irregular beat called an arrhythmia . Medication is used to try and regulate the heart beat .All breeds may suffer from this condition but they are more common in Boxers  ,Cavalier King Charles ,Pugs ,German Shepherds and Dobermans .