Diagnosis and Detection

How is a heart problem diagnosed?

It is important for you and your dog to make regular visits to the veterinarian. Early diagnosis and treatment will ensure your dog leads a happier, healthier, and longer life.

A thorough physical examination will provide your veterinarian with clues as to whether your dog has any heart-related problems.

Listening to your dog’s heart with a stethoscope may allow your veterinarian to determine if a heart murmur is present. (Appreciate that not all murmurs are easily heard.) Also, the heart rate and rhythm can be assessed with a stethoscope.

Your veterinarian may also recommend some other tests to help diagnose your dog’s condition, such as a radiograph, commonly known as an X-ray, a blood test, a blood pressure test, an ECG (electrocardiograph), and possibly an echocardiogram.

What does a heart murmur tell you?

A normal heart beat has two parts that sound like “lub-dub.” When the valves in the heart don’t close properly, a jet of blood shoots back and causes a “whooshing” sound. Depending on which valves are affected, a murmur may sound like “lub-shhhhh-dub” or “lub-dub-shhhhh.”