5/17/2023 0 Comments Heartbeat dog![]() This is a completely non-invasive procedure, without pain, and completed without sedation in almost all patients. The echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart that allows the cardiologist to examine the two-dimensional structure, pumping and relaxation function of the heart, and blood flow through the heart valves and great vessels. The gold standard for diagnosing the cause of a dog’s heart murmur is a complete echocardiogram by a board certified veterinary cardiologist. What can be Done to Diagnose the Cause of My Dog’s Heart Murmur? It is important to determine which disease an individual dog has and how severe it is in order to best tailor treatment for that particular patient. The most common structural heart diseases in dogs are degenerative valve disease in aging small breed dogs, dilated cardiomyopathy (a heart muscle disease) in larger breed dogs, and congenital heart defects (present since birth), the most common of which vary breed by breed. These examples illustrate why additional diagnostic testing is so crucial to determine the underlying cause of a murmur in an individual dog. Occasionally, dogs can have what are known as flow or innocent heart murmurs, meaning that no structural heart disease is present. For example, dogs with significant heart muscle disease that causes poor pumping function and secondary valve leakage typically have soft or low-grade murmurs. The grade (loudness scale) of the heart murmur does not necessarily correlate with the severity of the underlying heart disease. Most heart murmurs in dogs indicate underlying heart disease however, the severity of that heart disease can vary significantly from dog to dog. What are Possible Causes of Heart Murmurs in Dogs? ![]() Careful listening with a stethoscope to your dog’s heart by your family veterinarian is an important part of any physical examination. ![]() This can be heard with a stethoscope and, if loud enough, can be felt as a buzzing or vibration over the heart. A heart murmur, caused by turbulent blood flow within the heart or large vessels that arise from it, sounds like an abnormal whooshing or swishing sound during the heart beat cycle. The normal heartbeat makes a sound that corresponds to the closing of heart valves during the heart cycle.
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