Heart rhythm is also assessed during auscultation, and if there are concerns, your veterinarian may simultaneously palpate or feel the pulse to determine its strength and rhythm. The murmur's location and intensity help determine its significance. Listening to the chest with a stethoscope allows your veterinarian to identify murmurs due to the improper closure of heart valves. depressed attitude or quiet and not interactiveīefore a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy is made, several tests are performed to assess different aspects of heart function.Īuscultation.restless sleeping moving around a lot and changing positions.increased effort associated with breathing.rapid breathing when resting or sleeping (more than 30-35 breaths per minute).Annual checkups with your veterinarian may lead to a diagnosis of heart problems before clinical signs are present (this is the best time to diagnose a problem). Signs may be sudden or progressive in onset. Rapid, heavy breathing, a blue tongue, excessive drooling, or collapse may be the first signs. Some dogs may develop severe congestive heart failure (CHF) in only a few hours. Can this disease develop that quickly?ĭilated cardiomyopathy may have a sudden onset of clinical signs however, the disease has actually been developing slowly and subtly. My dog suddenly seemed to develop dilated cardiomyopathy. It is more often diagnosed in males than females. Occasionally, German Shepherd Dogs and some medium-sized breeds such as Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, and Portuguese Water Dogs are also affected. These include Boxer Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, and Saint Bernards. This condition is described as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).ĭilated cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of heart failure in certain large breeds of dogs. The pressure of the blood inside the heart causes these thin walls to stretch resulting in a much larger heart. As a result of this degeneration, the muscle becomes thinner, particularly the thick muscle wall of the left ventricle. Cardiomyopathy is defined as degeneration of the heart muscle.
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