Diseases of the cardiovascular system in dogs. Heart failure in dogs treatment

Heart problems in dogs are the most common cause of death for these wonderful animals. In this case, the pet can be saved if the disease is diagnosed in time.

Conventionally, heart disease in four-legged pets can be divided into two groups:

  • Congenital heart defects - this group of diseases is usually characteristic of young animals. It is also the most common cause of their death at a young age.
  • Acquired deficiency - often develops as a complication of ongoing infections or previous diseases. Most often, middle-aged animals are at risk, although any dog ​​can develop the disease.

Heart pathologies occur after illness, during high physical activity, are inherited, can be a feature of the breed or a consequence of herbs, blood loss, and various neoplasms.

By the way, diseases of the animal’s respiratory system and other systems related to cardiac activity are also varying degrees may contribute to the development of heart pathologies.

Doberman Pinschers and Boxers are also at risk. The main disease of the breed is dilated cardiomyopathy.

Symptoms of heart disease

If shortness of breath is accompanied by a cough, which occurs when increased activity or emotional experiences, you will definitely need medications, which can also be prescribed by a veterinarian after examining the animal. In such situations, prepare for long-term treatment.

If shortness of breath and coughing occur more and more often, attacks become prolonged, and the intervals between them, on the contrary, become shorter, then your pet almost certainly has serious problems with heart. It is likely that you will have to support your dog's heart for the rest of its life, and full recovery unlikely.

If a dog is suspected of having heart disease, undergo the following types diagnostics (cardiac examination).

  • Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart), Dopplerography (determination of hemodynamic disturbances), which allows one to study the functioning of the valve apparatus, the thickness of the heart septa, the size of the heart chambers, the direction of blood flow, its turbulence and speed, the value of pressure gradients inside the heart and great vessels. With help this method Congenital and acquired heart defects and cardiomyopathies are diagnosed, and the degree of their manifestation is assessed.
  • X-ray diagnostics chest necessary to assess the size of the heart chambers and the degree of pulmonary complications of heart disease. It allows you to exclude independent pathologies associated with respiratory system. Cough, typical of chronic heart failure, is also a leading symptom of damage to the upper and lower respiratory tract.
  • Electrocardiography ( ECG of the heart). The method is necessary for diagnosing arrhythmias and indirectly determining morphological changes in the structure of the chambers of the heart.
  • Laboratory diagnostics(clinical and biochemical tests blood).

So that problems don't happen

Monitor your pet's condition. Then you can quickly notice changes in his mood and behavior and consult a doctor in time. In this sense, in dogs everything is exactly the same as in people: the earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance of recovery from it.

Today, one of the rapidly developing areas in veterinary medicine is cardiology. In many veterinary clinics they have appeared, and where they do not exist yet, veterinarians general practice began to pay more attention to cardiac aspects when assessing the patient’s health status: hidden arrhythmia, heart disease, and other abnormalities.

Head of Cardiology Department veterinary clinic“Biocontrol”, candidate of biological sciences Vladislava Konstantinovna Illarionova answered frequently asked questions in her interview.

— Preoperative examination is necessary to detect heart disease. We carefully collect anamnesis, examine, auscultate (listen) the animal, additional research to identify changes from of cardio-vascular system. Sometimes it turns out that an animal has chronic pathology, in this case we need to determine the stage of the disease and, if necessary, adjust treatment and evaluate operational risk. It often happens that heart disease is hidden, that is, it is in asymptomatic stage. In this case, we receive valuable diagnostic information that allows us to decide on anesthesiological treatment, preoperative preparation and subsequent treatment.

— What research is carried out at Biocontrol to assess the state of the cardiovascular system of animals?

— We examine the animal, auscultate the heart and lungs, measure blood pressure, . If necessary, we do a chest and blood test for troponin I and T.

Each of these methods provides its own diagnostic information. Taking an anamnesis and direct (or physical) examination gives the doctor the opportunity to determine the direction of the diagnostic search.
Echocardiographic examination is one of the most informative visual methods, these are the “eyes” of a cardiologist. With this study, we can evaluate the functioning of all cardiac structures in real time and carry out all the measurements we need. Such a study does not take much time, does not require sedation, is easy to perform and is not painful for the animal.
ECG is a method for detecting abnormalities heart rate and conductivity. No other research can replace it. Technically, an electrocardiogram is very easy to perform. The study takes a few minutes and is easily tolerated by animals.
A chest x-ray allows you to evaluate the condition of the respiratory tract, lungs and blood vessels.
A blood test for troponin is a very sensitive test for detecting myocardial damage of various nature at an early stage.

— Are cardiac surgeries performed at the Biocontrol clinic?

— Yes, we carry out such operations. Of course, heart surgery is not a routine procedure. In each specific case, we carefully evaluate all the pros and cons, taking into account the indications and contraindications, prognosis and capabilities of the owner. Cardiac surgery is a high-tech branch of medicine, including veterinary medicine. This industry is developing quite quickly and today we have opportunities that would have been impossible to even dream of ten to fifteen years ago.

— Is it true that if the symptoms are “cough, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, fainting,” there is a reason to consult a cardiologist?

- All these symptoms can be signs of heart pathologies. But all of them are nonspecific, that is, they can also occur in other diseases. Therefore, to stage accurate diagnosis necessary comprehensive examination, including cardiological.

— At what stage of adulthood can congenital heart defects be detected in dogs and cats?

— Severe heart defects appear already from the first months. The main signs are: growth retardation, low weight body, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, cough, abdominal enlargement. Compensated defects can manifest themselves in more late age, in our practice there have been cases of detection of congenital defects during the examination of animals older than ten years.

— Owners often make an appointment with a veterinary cardiologist with a diagnosis of “enlarged heart.” What does this mean for the pet?

— Enlarged heart is not a diagnosis. This phrase is usually included in the description of a chest x-ray. There are various breeds and individual characteristics location of the heart in chest cavity, the relationship between the volume of the chest and the shape of the heart. In addition, it is important to take into account the phase of breathing (inhalation or exhalation) and the phase of cardiac activity (systole or diastole) at the time the x-ray is taken. Thus, if an owner hears that an animal has an enlarged heart on an x-ray, this is not a reason to panic, but a reason for a detailed cardiac examination.

— What is the life expectancy of dogs and cats with heart pathologies?

— The answer, of course, depends on the diagnosis and class of heart failure. You can live a long time with some diseases, and some, unfortunately, significantly reduce your life expectancy. I recommend a cardiac evaluation for those animals that are considered predisposed breeds or have reached old age (over 8-9 years).

— On the Internet, on thematic forums, the diagnosis “DCM” is often found. How often do cardiologists actually have to make this diagnosis?

— Dilated cardiomyopathy is a pathology of the heart muscle, which in most cases is hereditary. Dogs of the Doberman Pinscher, Great Dane, Boxer, Irish Wolfhound, Newfoundland and American breeds are most predisposed to this disease. English cocker spaniel, although it can also be detected in dogs of other breeds (usually giant ones). In cats this disease is very rare. This disease has a poor prognosis, and the importance of early diagnosis lies in the possibility of timely treatment and monitoring of the animal's condition. In addition, making a diagnosis as early as possible allows the sick animal to be excluded from breeding.

— Dispel the myth. Do animals have heart attacks?

“Nowadays we hear about such a diagnosis less and less. This is fair, since fatal transmural infarctions myocardium in dogs and cats are very, very rare. This happy feature is associated with the lack of predisposition of these animals to atherosclerosis. In elderly animals or with heart disease, microinfarctions may occur, which are associated with changes vascular wall and usually pass without clinical symptoms.

- There is a caste of animals - cores. How to handle them? Do they require special care, diet, control?

This caste is heterogeneous. Much depends on the diagnosis, stage of the process and characteristics of the animal. General recommendations are as follows: you cannot add salt to food if the animal is on a diet homemade and provide salty treats (such as cheese, sausage, etc.). For animals with severe heart failure, there are ready-made commercial feeds with reduced sodium content. Physical activity should be moderate, but it should not be completely excluded. You should not go for a walk with your dog during rush hour (when most owners are outside with their pets), since excessive emotional arousal is undesirable. Special care for animals with heart disease is not required, except for the need for daily treatment (as a rule, most drugs for long-term use given in tablet form). And, of course, we must not forget about scheduled visits to the doctor.

— Is childbirth indicated for animals with heart problems?

— We usually deal with several groups of pathologies. For myocardial diseases (most often cardiomyopathies), childbirth is not recommended, since the disease may be hereditary. At congenital diseases heart birth is also undesirable, since the pathology can be inherited. The most common heart disease in dogs is atrioventricular valve insufficiency as a result of degenerative damage to the valve apparatus - endocardiosis. But this pathology often develops in old age, when owners no longer think about childbirth.

Veterinarians at the Cardiology Department treat animals with heart pathologies every day. Early diagnosis allows you to improve your quality of life, conduct timely treatment and choose a diet. Due to the increasing number of cases of detection of various pathologies in giant and large breeds dogs, we recommend that when purchasing an animal, go through full examination, including a cardiologist.

It is no coincidence that the heart is called a “fiery engine”: the life of all mammals depends on its condition. Our dogs are no exception. Numerous heart diseases in dogs can put an end to your pet’s history and bring a lot of grief to its owners. In this article we will discuss the main types of these pathologies, their causes and treatment methods.

First, you need to remember that all ailments in this group are divided into two large categories: acquired and congenital. The first are most often found in older dogs, while the second variety is more typical for some breeds, and Clinical signs Diseases can manifest themselves from a very early age, in puppyhood. So, acquired heart diseases.

This is the name of a pathology in which the heart cannot cope with pumping blood, resulting in regional congestion. Very often observed in old dogs, it can be a consequence of many infectious diseases. The main signs of the disease are as follows:

  • A bloated and saggy belly, which becomes so due to...
  • Heavy, hoarse breathing. Sometimes you can hear gurgling without even using a phonendoscope. This indicates the presence of effusion in the chest cavity.
  • Visible mucous membranes acquire a pale, bluish tint.
  • Observed a sharp decline the dog's nutritional status over a relatively short period.

How to treat heart disease in dogs if their manifestations lead to the development of congestion? First, for normal therapy, you need to find out what you are dealing with. in this case. For this purpose the following can be used: ECG, ultrasonography chest, blood and urine tests. The treatment itself depends on many factors, but most often it is quite typical:

  • Drugs are prescribed to maintain heart rhythm.
  • Diuretics that prevent the accumulation of effusion in the chest and/or abdominal cavity.
  • If the problem is a congenital defect, surgery may be used. Of course, in our conditions - from the category of science fiction.
  • Frequent but short walks, with the help of which you can maintain the general tone of the animal’s body without overloading it.

Dogs with congestive heart failure respond well to a multivitamin supplement containing vitamins B, A, and E. This is especially true when considering heart disease in dogs. small breeds. They just have a crazy metabolism, so vitamins will never hurt the little ones.

Read also: Fungus on the paws of dogs: causes, symptoms, treatment

Myocarditis

The heart is a muscle. Therefore, almost all the troubles that can happen to skeletal striated muscles can lead to problems in his case. For example, infectious diseases and helminth infections often initiate inflammation of the heart muscle, better known as myositis. More precisely, myocarditis. Myositis is exactly the same pathology, but in the case of ordinary skeletal muscle tissue.

The reasons for it (taking into account those mentioned above) are quite diverse: the effect of viruses or pathogenic fungi, toxins and medications in case of their excessive use, and sometimes the traumatic origin of myocarditis is possible (with rib fractures). The clinical picture involves the manifestation of the following symptoms:

  • Pronounced arrhythmia.
  • Cough, dry and constant.
  • Fast fatiguability.
  • Labored breathing.
  • Weakness, the animal tries to move less, more often lies in its place, apathetic to everything that is happening.
  • Sudden occurrences febrile conditions accompanied by a significant increase in overall body temperature.
  • Other symptoms associated with primary infection, poisoning, and other negative factors.

But at the same time, we must remember that the entire course of the disease can be divided into two clearly defined stages: the first and second. In the table below we will describe in detail which clinical picture is typical for which type.

Diet is required. The animal must be fed more often, but in smaller portions. You should go for walks regularly, but under no circumstances should you overload the dog. It is necessary to prevent in every possible way the development and occurrence of constipation. To do this, all dry and roughage food is completely eliminated from the diet; preference is given to broths and boiled, pureed vegetables. As in the previous case, vitamin preparations can be extremely useful.

Myocardosis

Also a disease of the cardiac striated muscles. But in this case, its etiology is more complicated, since the nature of the disease is not inflammatory. In short, myocardosis is a complex of degenerative and dystrophic changes in the thickness of the cardiac tissue, due to which the latter loses its natural functionality.

Read also: Asthma in dogs: symptoms, signs and prevention of choking

The exact causes of this disease are still being researched. It is assumed that disturbances in carbohydrate and protein metabolism play an important role in its development. Most likely, the trigger for this pathology is still infectious and invasive diseases. In any case, statistics indicate that approximately 34% of dogs after myocarditis showed signs of myocardosis. But this is at least a third of the cases!

The clinical picture of this disease is in many ways similar to what we described above. The difficulty here is that the symptoms here are more vague, since the pathology develops very slowly. When a dog begins to show something really serious, it is too late to save it. The fact is that the process of degradation muscle tissue in this case it is irreversible, and therefore the animal is doomed. Only supportive therapy can help prolong his life, while simultaneously maintaining its quality at an acceptable level.

However, enough sad lyrics. How exactly can myocardosis manifest itself? The list of signs is quite extensive:

  • Shortness of breath, cyanosis of the mucous membranes and skin.
  • The skin may become loose and lose firmness and elasticity.
  • Venous pressure increases, while arterial pressure drops significantly.
  • The pulse “sags” significantly and becomes poorly expressed.
  • When the process is neglected, the heartbeat is diffuse and weak. The intensity of contraction of the heart muscle is significantly reduced, and serious arrhythmia may occur.

Endocarditis

It can be acute and chronic, according to the characteristics of the pathology - ulcerative or warty. The second type is especially dangerous, since detached warts can block blood flow even in large vessels, causing heart attacks, strokes, and also causing sudden deaths. Many heart diseases in older dogs are endocarditis. Pets often die because of them...

There is a beating in the chest of any dog a big heart, which is filled with love and devotion to its owners. But, unfortunately, our pets are increasingly being diagnosed with diseases of the cardiovascular system, which complicate and shorten their lives.

How to understand that your dog has heart problems, what to do about it, how to treat it, how long do dogs with heart problems live? We will try to answer these questions as fully and clearly as possible.

A dog's heart, what is it like?

The dog's heart is a hollow organ made up of muscles, the main one being called the myocardium. The heart has inner shell- endocardium, and on the outside it is covered by an outer membrane - the epicardium. In addition, it is placed in a special cardiac sac or pericardium, which protects the “main pump of the body” from shock, shock, infection and contact with other organs.

The heart is divided into two ventricles and two atria, with a common valve between the right atrium and the ventricle, and a second valve located between the left atrium and the ventricle. The third valve connects the left ventricle and the aorta emerging from it, and the fourth valve is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.

The job of all four valves is to ensure that blood flows through the heart in only one direction.

We are in general outline outlined for you anatomical structure dog heart, so you can imagine why heart disease occurs in dogs.

What heart diseases are diagnosed in dogs?

Heart problems in dogs are divided into congenital and acquired during life. Congenital heart diseases are a consequence of:

  • Improper intrauterine development, resulting in the formation of a heart defect in a dog.
  • Complications from an infectious disease that the bitch suffered during pregnancy.
  • Genetic predisposition of certain breeds to heart disease.

Congenital heart pathologies make themselves felt already in early age(up to one year) and do not have a very good survival prognosis. If the defect is small, then it may practically not manifest itself at all throughout life, and only during an examination at the clinic will the doctor hear a murmur in the dog’s heart. With serious cardiac problems in puppies, the following symptoms are observed:

  • lethargy, drowsiness;
  • poor appetite;
  • shortness of breath and cough after active games and jogging;
  • breathing with the mouth slightly open;
  • blue discoloration of mucous membranes;
  • sudden fainting.


Is it possible to cure congenital heart disease in a dog? For minor defects, the doctor may prescribe maintenance drug therapy with courses and restriction motor activity, and your dog will live with his illness long years. In the case of serious pathology, the prognosis is most often sad, since heart surgery on a dog can only be performed by a cardiac surgeon, of whom there are very few in veterinary medicine.

Signs of the disease and methods of treatment

Let's look at what types of acquired heart diseases there are in dogs, their symptoms and treatment methods.

One of the most common problems is heart failure in adult dogs. This pathology occurs as a result of the fact that the heart can no longer fully perform its pump functions, and blood begins to linger in the lungs, causing them to swell.

A typical symptom of the pathology is the so-called cardiac cough. The causes of this cough are irritation of the bronchi by accumulated fluid.

At first, the signs of heart failure are not very obvious - the dog develops shortness of breath during active games or when elevated temperature air. Over time, the situation begins to worsen, and the dog begins to get tired very quickly, breathes heavily even after a slight exertion, his gums and nose turn pale, and his tongue turns blue.

At the next stage of the disease, the dog develops a cardiac cough. At first, the animal coughs infrequently, but then prolonged attacks occur, during which the dog chokes on coughing. This symptom indicates that your pet has developed a severe stage of heart failure.

Owners need to understand that it is necessary to consult a doctor at the first signs of illness, as this will help prolong the life of their pet. Heart failure refers to chronic diseases, so the dog will be prescribed a lifelong regimen of certain medications to normalize heart function and diuretics to reduce pulmonary edema.


Depending on the severity of the condition, the veterinarian selects therapy individually for each animal.

It will be necessary to reconsider your pet’s lifestyle; now he will be recommended short walks, not too active games, a certain diet and the exclusion of stressful situations.

What is cardiomyopathy in dogs?

The cardiovascular system of a dog, when functioning correctly, ensures the supply of blood and blood to all organs. nutrients, which allows the animal to live and develop normally. However, the anatomy of the heart muscles can change with age, as well as due to complications after viral or bacterial infections.

The pathological transformation of the heart muscles is called cardiomyopathy.

There are several types of cardiomyopathies:

  • Hypertrophic, in which the dog’s heart is enlarged in size. It is considered the “mildest” type of the disease, since proportional hypertrophy of all walls of the ventricles and atria occurs, that is, the heart enlarges evenly. But in order for such a large heart to work well, the dog needs to spend more strength and energy, which is not very much in older dogs. In addition, it puts pressure on nearby organs and gets less food and oxygen, which can lead to a heart attack.
  • With the dilated form, stretching and atrophy of the myocardium occurs, as a result of which the heart cannot contract normally and push blood through the vessels.
  • The restrictive form is characterized by the formation of fibrous tissue in the thickness of the heart wall, which interferes with the normal contractility of the dog's heart.
  • At mixed form a combination of all of the above types of cardiomyopathy is possible.


As we have already mentioned, the causes of the development of cardiomyopathies are infectious diseases, complications after inflammatory diseases, heartworms, as well as serious errors in nutrition, in which there is a lack of vitamins E, B12, and selenium in the food.

The main symptoms of cardiomyopathy include:

  • attacks of suffocation;
  • hoarse breathing;
  • cardiac cough;
  • heartache;
  • heartbeat disturbance;
  • swelling;
  • fatigue;
  • cyanosis of mucous membranes;
  • weight loss;
  • apathetic behavior of the animal.

The manifestation of such symptoms should force the owner to seek help from a veterinarian as soon as possible. After the research, the doctor will prescribe medications for your pet that he will take throughout his life.

Most often, digoxin, which prevents atrial fibrillation, and procainamide, to regulate gastric extrasystoles, are prescribed to maintain heart function. To eliminate fluid stagnation in the body, diuretics are used, in particular furosemide. The use of enzymes, such as L-carnitine, helps to enhance the nutrition of the myocardium in order to prevent heart attacks.

Except drug therapy It is important to correctly calculate the physical activity for the dog and create a diet in such a way that it contains a minimum amount of salt and fat, but a lot of protein and vitamins.

Myocarditis

Inflammatory and infectious diseases can cause another type of heart disease in dogs - myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle.


The impetus for the development of myocarditis can be some infections, intoxication of the body with poisons or excess medicines, heart injury due to broken ribs.

The disease can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

  • heart rhythm disturbance;
  • dry cough;
  • weakness of the dog;
  • hard breath;
  • temperature increase.

Treatment is prescribed in accordance with the cause of myocarditis

Endocarditis

If the cause of endocarditis is an infection, then the dog experiences severe hyperthermia and signs of heart failure - shortness of breath, heart murmurs, weakening of the heartbeat, against which pulmonary edema may develop, which can lead to the death of the animal.

In the case of endocarditis, it is important for the doctor to decide how to support the dog’s heart during illness and prescribe adequate therapy. At the same time, treatment of pathologies affecting the functioning of the heart is carried out.

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction - dangerous disease, as a result of which the blood supply to any part of the myocardium stops and after that it dies. The consequence of this pathology is a disruption of the functioning of the entire body, up to the death of the dog.

For clinical picture heart attack character strong pain in the chest area, the dog panics, a sharp change in the color of the mucous membranes. The prognosis for survival in dogs with a heart attack depends on the size of the affected myocardial area, age and general condition animal.


How are heart diseases diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosis of heart disease in dogs is similar to human diagnosis and includes:

  • conducting blood and urine tests;
  • electrocardiography;
  • echocardiography.

The results obtained are carefully studied by a veterinary cardiologist, who selects certain medications for each patient, develops an individual treatment schedule, prescribes a diet and gives recommendations on the animal’s lifestyle.

Surgery is very rarely used to treat heart disease in dogs, as it is an expensive and underdeveloped area of ​​veterinary medicine.

We hope that our article will help owners recognize cardiac problems in their pets at the earliest early stages, when there are still ways to help a dog and keep his heart beating for many years to come!

According to statistics, diseases of the cardiovascular system occupy a leading place among diseases of non-communicable etiology and are the main cause of mortality (43%). There are diseases that develop against the background of congenital defects and acquired ones. Congenital defects appear very early and account for only 2.4% of the total number of cardiovascular pathologies. Dogs with birth defects cardiovascular system do not live long. Common reasons Premature deaths of old animals include acquired diseases: cardiomyopathies (23%), lesions of the atrioventricular valve leaflets (11%).

A disease of the cardiovascular system in an animal is indicated by symptoms that are divided into four main groups:
- syndrome of left ventricular failure and stagnation in the pulmonary circulation - cough, shortness of breath, cyanosis, pulmonary edema;
- syndrome of right ventricular failure and congestion big circle blood circulation - ascites, hydrothorax, peripheral, edema;
- syndrome vascular insufficiency- anemia of the mucous membranes, capillary refill rate (CRF) more than 3 seconds;
- cardiac arrhythmia syndrome - tendency to collapse, epileptiform attacks of Morgagni - Edens - Stokes, arrhythmia pulse waves, pulse deficit.

However, in approximately 50% of animals with cardiovascular disorders, the only detectable symptom is chronic cough.

Non-closure of the ductus botallus. Of the congenital pathologies, it is the most common (30%). A feature of the fetal circulation is the presence of the ductus botallus between the pulmonary artery and the descending aorta, through which blood is drained from the non-functioning lungs. With the first breath of the animal, the duct collapses and within 8-10 days it obliterates (overgrows), turning into an arterial ligament. If the duct is not closed, they speak of a developmental anomaly.

The narrowing can be valvular or subvalvular when the ring of valve leaflets or the space underneath is narrowed along the outflow path from the right ventricle of the heart.

This defect in dogs is usually asymptomatic. Sometimes in puppies it is accidentally discovered by a characteristic high-frequency noise with maximum intensity of audibility at the left cranial border of the sternum. X-ray changes are found. In the dorsoventral projection, deviation of the entire shadow of the heart to the right and expansion of the main trunk are noticeable pulmonary artery. The latter looks like a protrusion of the shadow of the heart to the 1 o'clock position. Most dogs only show signs of fatigue after many years, they experience fainting, ascites, and enlarged liver.

Treatment. If there are no signs of progressive heart enlargement before 6 months, the dog will live its allotted life. In cases where the symptoms of the disease increase, the dog should be limited physical activity and appoint long-term use digoxin. For ascites, furosemide is additionally prescribed and laparocentesis is performed.

Aortic stenosis. It is the third most common birth defect (15%), almost always manifesting as a subvalvular defect in the form of a fibromuscular compression ring under the valve. It occurs in Boxers, German Shepherds and Labradors, and in Newfoundlands it tends to be hereditary.

The diagnosis is usually made when the puppy is first examined. A low increasing-decreasing systolic murmur is best heard at the sternal border on the right in the fourth intercostal space. Obstructed blood flow from the left ventricle leads to a weak, delayed pulse at the thigh. Sometimes they listen to noise above carotid artery, they feel a trembling of the chest (“cat’s purring”) at the entrance to its cavity and in the place of maximum audibility of noise. Puppies with aortic stenosis they are stunted and get tired quickly. With expansion of the left ventricle and decompensation of cardiac activity, arrhythmia, fainting occur, and may occur sudden death. On radiographs in the lateral projection, a sharp expansion of the aortic arch and loss of the waist of the heart along the anterior contour of the shadow are noted due to forward protrusion of the aorta. In the dorsoventral projection, the anterior mediastinum and left ventricle of the heart are expanded. Alveolar pulmonary edema is possible.

The disease can be asymptomatic, and many puppies die at an early age.

Treatment. In mild cases, no treatment is required. Consistently performing gentle training exercises helps slow the progression of left ventricular decompensation and reduces the likelihood of life-threatening arrhythmias caused by myocardial ischemia. At moderate severity illnesses are prescribed anaprilin 3 times a day. It promotes complete contraction of the heart ventricle and its better emptying, increases blood flow in coronary arteries, delaying the onset of arrhythmia. At stagnation in the lungs, in addition, a salt-free diet, diuretics and aminophylline are prescribed. Digoxin is recommended only as a last resort.

Anomaly in the development of the aortic arch. Esophageal diverticulum. During the process of ontogenesis, the transition from the gill circulation to the pulmonary circulation in the fetus occurs with the formation of six pairs of aortic arches, which are then transformed into the arteries of the small (pulmonary) and systemic (systemic) circulation circles. The formation of the aortic arch is normally associated with the transformation of the left fourth aortic arch. With a developmental anomaly, the aorta develops from the right fourth aortic arch. As a result, the aorta is located not to the left of the esophagus, but to the right. The ductus botallus, which runs from the aortic arch to the pulmonary artery, in this case tightens the esophagus in a ring. When the puppy eats thick, bulky food, it will accumulate in the precordial portion of the esophagus, leading to the formation of a diverticulum.

Sick puppies are developmentally delayed and their weight decreases. After almost every feeding, they belch undigested food. The diagnosis is made on the basis of contrast esophagography.

Technique of contrast esophagography. The animal is allowed to swallow 50 ml of a thick suspension of barium sulfate in water and two photographs are immediately taken, covering the chest and neck area in frontal and lateral projections. On a lateral radiograph, precordial dilatation of the esophagus is noticeable. In this case, in the dorsoventral projection, the right-sided location of the aorta is visible.

This developmental anomaly must be differentiated from mega-esophagus and achalasia of the esophagus, which are characterized by expansion of the esophageal tube all the way to the diaphragm. Forecast at timely treatment favorable.

Treatment. It's only possible surgical intervention. The course of the operation is the same as for closing the persistent ductus botallus. The arterial ligament stretching the esophagus is ligated and cut. In this case it is much easier, since the duct is almost always obliterated and the ligament is longer than usual. The operation is completed by placing tightening seromuscular plastic sutures on the enlarged wall of the esophagus.