Heart defect

It’s definitely not true that a dog is doomed once a heart condition is diagnosed: many heart conditions can be treated with medication, and sometimes surgery can help!

Broadly speaking, the abnormalities can be divided into 4 groups:

1. Congenital abnormalities. These usually involve defects in the development and structure of the heart and the major blood vessels. Some of these abnormalities can be corrected surgically, but in most cases treatment is not possible, mainly because of the very high costs.
2. Heart valve disorders. Aside from congenital aortic stenosis (Newfoundlands, Boxers), these conditions often affect older dogs of small breeds. These animals often suffer from a valve between the left atrium and left ventricle that does not close properly, leading to pulmonary congestion, which results in reduced stamina and coughing. This condition is very common and can often be effectively treated with medication, typically involving a combination of different drugs.
3. Heart muscle disorders. These problems are often seen in older dogs of larger breeds. The symptoms are similar to those seen in dogs from Group 2. These dogs often also have a swollen, fluid-filled abdomen. The animals often drink large amounts of water. Treatment, if possible and appropriate, again consists of administering medication.
4. Arrhythmias. The electrical impulse that causes the heart to contract originates in the right atrium, in the so-called sinus node. From there, this impulse spreads through the cardiac conduction system to the rest of the heart, ensuring that the heart’s contraction follows a precise and regular pattern. This ensures optimal pumping function of the heart. If the electrical conduction is interrupted at any point—for example, due to damage to the nerve fibers following an inflammation—the heart may begin to contract irregularly. Furthermore, spontaneous electrical impulses can arise outside the sinus node, causing a heart contraction, which in turn leads to an abnormal rhythm. Due to the less effective blood circulation, the animals often have reduced stamina, cough, and experience pulmonary congestion and fluid in the chest cavity, which triggers coughing.

If there is reason to suspect that a dog has a heart defect, it is of the utmost importance to make as accurate a diagnosis as possible. This is not always easy. In principle, all of the conditions listed above can lead to reduced stamina, loss of appetite, excessive drinking and urination, coughing, a distended abdomen, etc. However, each of these symptoms on its own can also be consistent with other diseases.

Because an accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment, if a heart condition is suspected, a follow-up examination is generally required after the initial consultation. This involves performing an electrocardiogram (ECG), an X-ray, a blood test, and/or an ultrasound examination. Each of these tests provides specific information about heart function, and in virtually all cases, a diagnosis can be made this way. “First a diagnosis, then treatment”!

In practice, heart defects are almost always treated with medication. For certain conditions, surgery would be the ideal solution, but due to cost considerations, such treatments have never been further developed and are therefore not feasible. For example, heart valves are not implanted in dogs, even though this would be very beneficial for many of them.

All in all, it can be said that many dogs with a heart defect can be effectively treated with medication, provided that an accurate diagnosis has been made in advance and that the veterinarian regularly monitors the effectiveness of the treatment.