The Canine Heart - In Sickness and In Health Quiz

Answer: 4

The canine heart is very much like the human heart in that it has four chambers.
They are the left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium and right ventricle.

Answer: Tricuspid Valve

The tricuspid valve separates the right atrium and right ventricle and acts like a set of one way doors. The deoxygenated blood returning from the body enters the right atrium. The tricuspid valve opens and allows the blood to flow into the right ventricle.

The tricuspid valve then closes to prevent any blood flowing back into the atrium. The ventricle then squeezes and sends the blood to the lungs to be oxygenated.

Answer: Aorta

The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It has to withstand very high pressures as the blood is pumped out of the heart by the left ventricle. As the aorta proceeds through the body it separates to form other arteries that supply all the various organs and tissues of the body.

Answer: Ventricular Septal Defect

Ventricular septal defect is one or more holes in the tissue of the wall that seperates the left and right ventricles. This allows deoxygenated and oxygenated blood to mix by shunting between the two chambers. It causes a heart murmur and can result in congestive heart failure.

Answer: Inner lining of the heart

Endocarditis is specifically an infection of the inner lining of the heart (the endocardium), most commonly caused by bacteria entering the blood and travelling to the heart via the circulatory system.
In a normal, healthy heart these bacteria normally pass straight through and cause no problems, but if there is pre-existing disease or damage to the heart valves then the bacteria can lodge there and set up an infection.

Answer: Cardiologist

The same as in human medicine, animal medicine has its specialist areas. As veterinary science has advanced, more vets have become specialists in a specific field. You can have your pet referred by your general practitioner to a specialist in most areas of medicine and surgery if you need to.

Answer: Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease (DMVD)

A large proportion of CKCS are born with the genetic predisposition to DMVD. The mitral valve (between the left atrium and the left ventricle) deteriorates and becomes thick and knobbly. This means that it cannot close properly, and blood leaks back from the ventricle to the atrium. Early signs can be just a heart murmur but many go on to develop congestive heart failure.

Answer: Very fast heart rate

Tachycardia is a heart rate much faster than the normal expected heart rate for that specific animal. Heart rate is measured in beats per minute. The easiest way to measure a dog's heart rate is to count the number of beats in 30 seconds and mulitply by two. You can do this using a stethoscope, or simply by placing your hand on the left side of the dog's chest. You can normally feel the heart beat unless your dog is slighly overweight and there is a layer of fat between your hand and the ribcage.

Answer: A dog is born with congenital and develops acquired disease

Congenital heart disease is carried in the animal's genetic make up. They can be born with the defect, or their genetic coding means that they get the disease later in life.
Acquired heart disease tends to be caused more by wear and tear on the heart, trauma, or external insults.

Answer: Both of these are congenital

The genetic coding for both of these diseases can be passed on from parents to puppies. Any adult dog diagnosed with either of these conditions should not be bred with.