Ways to Give
Stray Thoughts Winter 2018
Pet Health Watch with Dr . Main Heart Murmurs in Older Dogs
It is not uncommon for a veterinarian to discover a heart murmur in an otherwise healthy 8-year or older canine patient . The news of the murmur for the pet owner often comes as a surprise , and leads to the question , what should be done ?
The most common type of murmur in an aging patient is called MMVD , which stands for myxomatosis mitral valve disease . This is primarily a wear and tear disease of the “ three leafed ” valve between the left atrium and left ventricle . Essentially the valve leaflets become thickened and irregular over time and no longer provide a tight seal when closing . The absence of a tight seal leads to back flow of blood through the valve , which creates the turbulence that we hear with the stethoscope , and is called a murmur .
The question for the doctor is always , “ is there a benefit to the patient , to begin a heart medication prior to any clinical signs of CHF ?” In other words was there anything that could be done about this murmur ?
A recent study demonstrated the benefit of pimobendan ( a heart medication ), in significantly prolonging the time of onset of CHF or cardiac related death in dogs with MMVD and heart enlargement . In this study it was determined that dogs with MMVD and heart enlargement ; proven by radiology and echocardiogram , would benefit from starting the drug pimobendan early on , prior to any clinical symptoms .
This information is a big leap forward for the canine patient with a heart murmur . Starting medication early on will delay the onset of CHF and cardiac related deaths . In the middle aged patients with MMVD and proven heart enlargement there is now a clear recommendation from the veterinary profession .
This type of mitral valve disease often eventually leads to congestive heart failure in the patient . However MMVD is characterized by a long preclinical phase . This means a long time between when the murmur is first noticed and the onset of clinical signs . Until recently no therapies have been proven to prolong this time before the onset of congestive heart failure ( CHF ).
In answer to the earlier question “ what can be done for a non-clinical patient with an established heart murmur ?” Chronic oral therapy with pimobendan should be initiated every 12 hours in these patients . The medication is safe and well tolerated by dogs and once started , long term prognosis is substantially improved . In fact the study showed the preclinical time period was doubled !
Pimobendan is not a new drug but rather has been used to treat patients in CHF , it is the idea of starting the medication early on that is new and quite beneficial . This is another step forward for pets and veterinary medicine .
Ways to Give
WSHS can accept cash , check , and credit-card donations . Copy and paste this link in your browser : www . wshs-dg . org / online-donation-form
This will take you directly to our online donation page . You can choose to make a one-time gift or you can set up a monthly donation .
To give a donation in check form , make checks payable to the West Suburban Humane Society and mail it to : West Suburban Humane Society , 1901 Ogden Avenue Downers Grove , IL 60515
We will send a confirmation of your gift that can be used when filing your taxes .
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