Cardiovascular Disease

How common is congestive heart failure in dogs?

Approximately 10% of dogs presented to first opinion vet practices have heart disease. The majority are suffering from acquired, degenerative and progressive, often breed associated, heart conditions like myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) or, less commonly, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Both diseases may eventually lead to overt congestive heart failure, a condition for which treatment requires not only initiation of appropriate medications, but also long-term monitoring and ongoing tailored dose adjustments, in order to gain the best outcome for the patient.

Congenital cardiovascular anomalies are breed related, often hereditary defects which are present at birth and often lead to perinatal death of the affected puppy/puppies. However, in some cases, congenital heart diseases are asymptomatic and undetected until possible symptoms such as inappetence, exercise intolerance, panting, breathlessness and collapse present later in adult life.

How do you diagnose acute congestive heart failure in dogs?

There is no one single diagnostic test for congestive heart failure. Diagnosis is usually made using a combination of signalment (primarily looking at breed and age), history, physical examination, bloodwork, echocardiogram (ECG) measurement and imaging using ultrasonography or radiography to evaluate function and possible signs of cardiomegaly or valvular leakage.

Some cases are detected in an earlier stage of disease by discovering a murmur on a routine auscultation. This is particularly the case in those breeds which are known to be at higher risk of heart disease and therefore are more likely to undergo proactive monitoring for the development of murmurs and/or symptoms of cardiac disease.

Some cases remain undiagnosed until they appear to a vet presenting with a severe circulatory collapse displaying bluish mucus membranes, dyspnea and possibly even loss of consciousness.