Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease of the heart muscle and most commonly affects cats. It rarely occurs in dogs. HCM is the result of one or more specific genetic defects that results in abnormal heart muscle proteins. This eventually leads to heart muscle thickening, usually affect the left ventricle of the heart. Thickening of […]
Congestive heart failure is a clinical diagnosis – one that is made by the veterinarian taking into account a pet’s history and physical examination findings in addition to the results of testing, which may include chest x-rays, echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart), electrocardiography (EKG, ECG), blood pressure, blood work , etc. Heart failure happens because […]
Endocarditis is infection of the heart valves. Fortunately, this tends to be an uncommon problem in the dog and is rare in cats. Working dogs (i.e. police dogs, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, etc.), Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, Golden Retreivers and Rottweilers may be predisposed. The most commonly affected heart valve in dogs and cats is the aortic valve. […]
Dogs and cats may suffer from a variety of ailments that lead to chronic coughing. Coughing is the forcible exhalation of air against a closed glottis. This may be soft/wet sounding, hacking/dry/harsh sounding or have a honking component. Coughing that has been present on a daily basis for over a few weeks in duration is […]
Dogs that have congenital pulmonic stenosis (PS) have a narrowed outflow of the right side of the heart. When this results from fusion of the pulmonic valve leaflets, these patients may benefit from a palliative catheter-based procedure called balloon valvuloplasty. Dogs are diagnosed with PS using the history, physical examination and complete echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound). […]
Patients that have severe tracheal collapse with symptoms of or documented airway obstruction that are refractory to medical management may be candidates for tracheal stent implantation. A tracheal stent is a self-expanding metallic device which is placed within the trachea (windpipe) and is used to hold the airway open. Many different considerations must be made […]
Dogs and cats may occasionally suffer from systemic hypertension, which is a higher than normal arterial blood pressure. Blood pressure is evaluated in small animals in nearly the same way that it is in humans. Basically, a cuff is inflated on a limb (or occasionally the tail), and a Doppler probe is used to hear […]
Dogs and cats may occasionally experience syncope (fainting). Syncope may occur for a number of different reasons. Basically, the blood pressure falls low enough that the brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen, resulting in transient loss of consciousness. When dogs and cats lose consciousness, it may appear to be a seizure. Most of the time, patients […]
