Common Heart Conditions in Dogs: What Brighton Dog Owners Should Know

Heart disease is one of the more common conditions we see in ageing dogs, but it can affect dogs of any breed or size. Many heart conditions develop gradually and may not cause obvious symptoms in the early stages, which is why regular veterinary checks are so important. At Middle Brighton Vet, we assess heart health as part of every routine consultation and wellness exam.

The most common heart disease in dogs is myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), where the valve between the left chambers of the heart degenerates and begins to leak. This is heard as a heart murmur during examination. Other conditions include dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) - enlargement and weakening of the heart muscle - which is more common in larger breeds such as Dobermanns, Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds.

Early signs of heart disease in dogs can be subtle: a slight reduction in exercise tolerance, a mild cough (particularly at rest or during the night), or slightly faster breathing than normal. As the condition progresses, more obvious signs develop including significant exercise intolerance, laboured breathing, and fluid accumulation in the chest or abdomen.

If a murmur is detected in your dog, the next step is to determine its cause and severity with an echocardiogram. This allows us to stage the disease accurately and determine whether medication is currently indicated. For dogs with MMVD at Stage B2, starting pimobendan has been shown to delay the onset of heart failure by an average of 15 months.

Call us on (03) 9592 9811 or book online at middlebrightonvet.com.au/book-online.