There are many diseases a dog's heart is prone to, and diagnosis of heart disorders can only be attained through regular checkups. Many heart disorders are present from birth, but many congenital heart disorders can develop at a later point in your dog's life.
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Types of Heart Disorders
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A heart disorder can either be one where the heart valves fail to close properly or the openings are not developed properly, which can cause the blood to flow back into the previous chamber or blood flow is not good between chambers, or one where the walls of the heart have thinned. Your dog could have had the heart defect since birth or could be developing one of these types of heart disease.
Heart Disorders
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Aortic stenosis (a smaller-than-normal opening between the left ventricle and aorta) is a congenital defect. Cardiomyopathy (a heart muscle disease) does not occur often in dogs. Mitral valve insufficiency (sometimes called mitral valve disease) is where the mitral valve between the left atrium and left ventricle begins to fail and is usually congenital. In patent ductus arteriosus, the ductus, which was used for blood flow before birth, fails to close and some of the puppy's blood does not go through the lungs. This means there is not enough oxygen moving through the puppy's body. Persistent Right Aortic Arch is another disease involving pre-birth blood vessels, the right aortic arch. If this vessel continues to operate, it can constrict the growth of the puppy's esophagus. Pulmonic stenosis is where the pulmonary is narrowed. Ventricular Septal Defect is where the walls separating the heart's chambers do not develop properly. Heartworms can obstruct blood vessels going from the heart to the lungs. Heart attacks are rare in dogs.
Heart Failure
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Both types of heart disease can worsen over time into what is called heart failure. Heart failure is when there is not enough blood pumping through the body to your dog's body to operate properly. Because there is not enough blood going through the body, the heart can sustain even more damage.
Symptoms
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There may be no outward signs of heart disorders from your dog if your dog has not had the disorder for long, but dogs that are severely affected by a heart disorder may exhibit difficulty breathing, exercise intolerance, coughing, fainting, weight loss and lethargy.
Detection
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Your dog's best bet for diagnosis of a heart disorder is to have yearly checkups with his veterinarian. If your veterinarian suspects a heart disorder after giving your dog a physical examination, the vet may take blood or urine samples for testing or have an EKG or X-rays performed. Before and during the physical examination, your veterinarian may ask you questions. Answer these questions as completely as possible.
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