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The Heart of the Matter. a look into heart health WRIT TEN BY JAKE JACOBSON, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) Charleston Veterinar y Cardiology
The heart is a four-chambered muscle that pumps blood to your organs and muscles. Just like in people, there are 4 valves present that are necessary to keep blood moving in a forward direction, preventing backflow of blood (called regurgitation). Every time the heart squeezes, blood flows throughout your body, delivering ingredients critical to survival such as oxygen and nutrients. Did you know that the heart beats about 100,000 times in one day?!
Heart Disease Dogs and cats most often acquire problems with the heart muscle or heart valves. These conditions can result in inefficiency of the cardiovascular system that may promote symptoms. If the heart is unable to pump oxygenated blood to the body, exercise intolerance, weakness or collapse may ensue. Did you know that dogs and cats rarely get heart attacks?! Unlike in people, coronary artery disease (also called atherosclerosis) is less of a concern.
Heart Murmur A murmur is produced when turbulent blood flow develops inside the heart. This is most often from a leaky valve/backflow of blood (called regurgitation) or a narrow valve opening (called stenosis). A murmur can be detected
by your veterinarian by listening to your pet’s heart. Since the loudness, or grade, of the heart murmur does not always predict the severity of disease, additional testing is needed once a concerning heart murmur is noted by your veterinarian.
Arrhythmias There is an electrical impulse which travels through the heart that ultimately is converted to energy that stimulates the heartbeat. An irregularity of this electricity is called an arrhythmia. If the heart is beating too fast, this is called tachycardia. If the heart is beating too slow, this is called bradycardia. An arrhythmia can result in reduced blood flow, causing collapse or fainting (syncope). An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a safe and non-invasive way to diagnose your pet’s arrhythmia.
Heart Failure Heart disease is an umbrella term for the type of faulty cardiac condition. When symptoms develop from a particular type of heart disease, the term heart failure is used. Heart failure is when fluid builds up in the abdomen (called ascites), around the lungs (called pleural effusion) and/or in the lungs (called pulmonary edema). Heart failure may manifest as coughing, trouble breathing or abdominal distension.
