Heart Disease
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Humans don't have a monopoly on heart disease - our furry friends also are susceptible to a wide range of cardiovascular conditions. Smaller breed dogs, in particular, are more likely to develop heart disease, including heart "murmurs."
Heart murmurs occur when the animal's heart function has deteriorated, creating an abnormal blood flow within the heart's chambers. The condition may be congenital, meaning the animal was born with the problem, or else it can develop as the result of disease and aging. Some conditions aren't very serious; others will progress rapidly, causing congestive heart failure and death. [...]
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In dogs, heart failure is usually characterized by problems with the mitral valve. This is especially true of smaller breeds, but is applicable to at least some extent with all dogs. The mitral valve refers to the muscular valve that separates the left atrium and ventricle. Its function, when working properly, is to prevent the back flow of blood once it has passed through one section of the heart to increase the efficiency of the heart's pumping, i.e. - each portion of blood that passes through the heart only needs to be pumped once because the mitral valve prevents it from flowing backwards. Over time, however, this valve begins to shrink and harden as a natural consequence of aging. [...]
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Most people are either unfamiliar with the term "shunt" or are used to its application as a treatment to drain excess fluid from the brain following a stroke.
There is another type, however, that can occur in animals, including dogs. Specifically, a portosystemic shunt is an abnormal connection between the hepatic portal vein and the rest of the circulatory system. This vein connects the gastrointestinal tract to the liver. This abnormal connection in turn causes blood from the gastrointestinal tract to bypass the liver, depriving it of oxygen and vital nutrients. When this occurs, the liver is unable to completely perform its own vital functions, including assisting with the body's metabolism and eliminating toxins from the system. The final effect is to expose the affected animal's body to toxic byproducts from its own digestive system. [...]
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The most common type of heart disease in small and medium breeds of dogs is endocardiosis. It is not as often noted in large dogs, however it can occur and be problematic in these breeds as well. There are some breeds that are more prone to endocardiosis and these include Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Miniature Poodles and the Boston Terrier. As with many hereditary conditions males are more prone to the condition than females and it tends to be more problematic in older dogs than younger dogs. [...]
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The Irish wolfhound is a relatively healthy breed of dog, but is occasionally affected by heart disease. There are different heart problems that may affect the Irish wolfhound, but the most common heart disorder is dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Until recently, many Irish wolfhounds (as well as other dogs) died because there just wasn't enough research available for a local vet to correctly diagnose the problem as DCM. DCM is now much better known, so veterinarians will usually run tests to rule out this disorder, especially in breeds that are prone to developing DCM, such as the Irish wolfhound. [...]
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Anesthetics is one of the myriad heart problems which can affect your pet is a condition known as aortic stenosis or subvalvular aortic stenosis. With this condition, the blood flow is partially blocked as it leaves the left side of the heart (the left ventricle) into the aorta, which is the major blood vessel that transports blood to the rest of the dog's body. The obstruction can be a small nodule or a fibrous band of tissue, either of which is usually located just below the aortic valve, which is the dividing structure between the heart and the aorta.
Because of this obstruction, the dog's heart must work harder to pump an adequate supply of blood to the dog's body. Over time, this valve usually narrows even further, a condition known as stenosis. [...]
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Among the many diseases that can strike the human and canine heart is a disease of the heart muscle itself. Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, causes the walls of the heart's four chambers to become enlarged and thus not function properly, and it usually is found in larger breeds of dog. [...]
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Although any breed of dog can potentially develop congestive heart failure it is most commonly known to affect smaller breeds of dogs. To further add to the problem often these dogs exhibit few symptoms or signs to alert their owners to the ongoing, serious health condition that is slowly decreasing the heart's ability to function correctly. Since the signs of congestive heart failure are often very similar to what might be reasonable expected behaviors of an aging dog, often owners miss the first few subtle signs or assume they are just old age setting in.
There are three common and clear signs that owners of small breeds should be carefully monitoring their dogs for. These include decreasing energy and stamina levels, increased problems in breathing and increases in coughing either when exercising or when resting. [...]
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There are several different kinds of heart diseases that can affect puppies and dogs. Just like with people, some dogs appear more likely to get these disease based on their genetic make-up as well as their lifestyle and nutrition. In some cases heart disease are more problematic within the breed as a whole and reputable breeders continue to carefully select breeding pairs to avoid any problems with passing on the condition to future generations.
One type of heart disease that can happen in almost any breed of dog is a congenital heart condition. This is a heart malformation or disease that is present when the puppy is born. It can be genetic or be caused by a birth defect or injury or trauma when the puppy was developing. Often females that are stressed through disease, poor nutrition or injury during pregnancy are far more likely to have puppies with congenital conditions. [...]
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Every dog (or cat, or human for that matter) is born with a hole in his or heart. This hole works as a valve and is called the patent ductus. Its function is primarily to shunt blood to the lungs while the puppy is still in its mother's womb, and as such it becomes unnecessary after birth when the puppy can breathe on its own. Because of this, the fissure known as the patent ductus normally closes on its own by the time the animal is three days old. There are times, however, when for whatever reason, this does not occur.
In a normally functioning heart, blood enters the heart on one side and is sent to the lungs to be oxygenated, whereupon it returns to the other side of the heart where it is pumped out to the rest of the body. If the patent ductus does not close, the result is that an inordinate amount of blood is shunted towards the lungs, which causes an increase of fluid on the lungs and labored breathing. [...]
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In a normally functioning canine heart, the right side of the heart is responsible for pumping blood to the lungs to be infused with oxygen. This oxygenated blood is then cycled back into the left side of the heart where it is sent out to the rest of the body. There exists, however, a medical condition called pulmonic stenosis that interferes with this natural and medically necessary process. In an animal with pulmonic stenosis, blood flow to the lungs is compromised by an improperly formed pulmonic valve. As a result, the heart must work much harder than normal to pump blood to the lungs, and the ultimate result is a swelling of fluid in the right chambers of the heart, a thickening of the heart muscle, and eventually heart failure and death. [...]
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So you've made your mind up and you're definitely adopting a Norfolk terrier, no bones about it. If you've done all your research on the dog's personal history, the dog's pedigree, the breed's characteristics, if you trust the person selling you the dog and have determined that your home is perfect for a Norfolk terrier, then the following should hopefully serve as a quick last minute checklist, a reminder of things to watch out for and keep in mind.
The Norfolk terrier is prone to a few health problems. Particularly heart diseases and hip dysplasia and especially prone to incorrect bite patterns. Any potential Norfolk terrier owner should be advised that their dog will need to be given regular checkups and attention to the end of early detection of common diseases and disorders. While the breed does tend to be relatively resistant to health concerns when compared to many other breeds, the Norfolk owner should nonetheless take the proper precautions. [...]
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There are many different causes of urinary tract problems in dogs, both male and female. Some are caused by painful and irritating bladder and kidney infections and problems while others are caused by disease or even medications reacting on the urinary tract. The good news is that most urinary tract problems in dogs can be treated with a bit of management and common sense, as well as careful monitoring and regular vet check ups if you have any concerns.
The first and most important point to consider is that excessive urination is a sign of many different types of problems ranging from distemper to diabetes and even to marking behaviors that are hormonally driven. Since true urinary tract problems are not behavioral but are either caused by a disease, injury or congenital problem the hormonal problems with urination will not be discussed in this article. [...]
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There are many types of heart disease that can affect your dog, and one of the more serious of these is a condition known as cardiomyopathy. There are several types of this fatal disease, and they are a major cause of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), congestive heart failure and sudden death. The two most common include a condition known as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) and a second known as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. In many cases, the dog will develop ACM first, and then the condition will develop into DCM.
The term cardiomyopathy literally translates to "sick heart muscle." It occurs when the walls of the heart muscle become thin, weak and unable to contract properly. The left side of the heart is normally affected the most, but both sides can become enlarged. [...]
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It is always an exciting time to get a new puppy or dog, unfortunately many new owners don't consider all the possible health issues that may be associated with different breeds. In some of the medium to large breeds such as the Golden Retriever, Bullmastiff, Rottweiler, Boxer and Newfoundland the condition is considered the leading cause of heart conditions within the breed.
Sub-aortic stenosis is a congenital and inherited condition, which means that it is passed on through the parents and is present when the puppy is born. What the condition actually consists of is a narrowing of the opening between the heart's left ventricle and the aorta, the major blood vessel carrying blood that is rich in oxygen to the rest of the body. The narrowing is actually caused by a thickening or the walls or a ring of scar tissue that is formed inside the aorta just at the ventricle, which will decrease the volume of blood that can be carried out of the heart to the body. [...]
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Heart Disease
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