Healthy Hearts Make Healthy Pets.
Sometimes it is difficult to detect the problem of canine heart murmur and it may require the consultation of an expert. Also, phonocardiogram is also required to recognize the type of heart murmur. However, in most of the cases this problem does not affect dogs severely, but in some cases it may have crucial consequences, or may result in the ultimate death of the dog. The severity of this problem also depends on the breed and age of the dog.
A heart murmur occurs when the heart beat is long and does not have the usual rhythm. This problem is caused by the turbulence of the flow of the blood in the heart. The heart is actually divided in two sections which are individually responsible for the transportation of oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood.
The right and left atriums are those which carry blood towards the heart, while the ventricular is responsible for transporting the blood away from the heart. The left atrium receives yhe oxygenated blood which is then transferred to left ventricle from which the blood is directed to different parts of the body. The right atrium receives de-oxygenated blood from different parts of the body which is then transported to the lungs for oxygenation through right ventricle.
If due to any reason a blockage arises in the path of the blood flow, or the valves disrupt, then it leads to malfunctioning of the circulatory system. This problem is termed as stenosis and it is characterized by the condition in which the pressure and density of the blood changes. Heart murmur is the result of stenosis. If you suspect that your pet has any of these problems you should consult a veterinarian who specialises in small animal cardiology.
This problem is classified in four types that vary in terms of their characteristics.
1 The innocent type in which is of medium frequency and results in systolic ejection. This problem is usually associated with kittens and dogs having thin chests.
2 The functional type, which may show frequency ranging from medium to high with consequences a little similar to innocent type. This problem is also sometimes augmented with hyperthyroidism, anemia, high cardiac outputs, tachycardia plus fever.
3 The pathologic type, in which the frequency may be very low to very high. Intense dilation of AV valve and systolic anterior valve may happen because of this. This problem is usually associated with dilated cardiomyopathy, congenital heart defects, acquired valve disease and aortic outflow tract obstruction.
4 The continuous type of heart murmur, in which a gradual increase and gradual decrease of the frequency occurs. This particular problem is mostly associated with PDA.
There are several symptoms that may appear as the result of a heart murmur problem. Such as the dog having difficulty in breathing and he tries to struggle with any exercise, then he is likely to be suffering from this syndrome. Other symptoms may include inactiveness, faintness, bluishness in mouth, coughing and behavioral changes. If you have any worries about your pet and would like more information just read here.
