What Are the Causes of Heart Disease?

There are several ways your dog can be affected by heart disease:

Acquired Heart Disease

• Accounts for 95% of all heart conditions
• Disease that develops during the course of your
  dog's life
• There are two principal causes of acquired
  heart disease:
• Valvular disease, which is also known as atrioventricular valvular insufficiency (AVVI) or mitral valve disease or endocardiosis
• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)

Congenital Defects

Heart problems that your dog is born with

Will usually be diagnosed when your dog is very young (ie, still a puppy)

Account for a very small percentage of the diagnosed heart-related problems