RVC Cardiology team offers dedicated Puppy Heart Clinic
The RVC’s Small Animal Referral Service now has a dedicated heart clinic for puppies based at the Queen Mother Hospital in Hertfordshire.
The clinic supports dogs under two years old where their physical examination abnormalities are suggestive of heart disease. This clinic investigates and determines if a dog requires further medical or surgical intervention.
Advanced diagnostic equipment is used to assess the puppy's cardiac health. A variety of congenital heart conditions may be discovered with the use of echocardiography (a heart scan which indicates heart structure and function)
All cases and treatment plans are discussed with a board-certified cardiologist.
If a congenital heart defect is diagnosed, a tailored care plan is created to improve the dog’s long-term health welfare. Where appropriate, this may include recommending minimally invasive interventional cardiac procedures.
Some dog breeds are more susceptible to heart issues when they are puppies due to a breed prevalence of congenital heart disease – these include Border collies, boxers, cavalier King Charles spaniels, Chihuahua, cocker spaniels, English and French bulldogs, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, Maltese, Newfoundlands and Rottweilers.
Overall, RVC research shows that brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog breeds are more than four times more likely to have a cardiac condition than non-brachycephalic breeds.
The most common congenital heart defects in dogs are pulmonic stenosis, patent ductus arteriosus and subaortic stenosis. There are a variety of other different congenital heart conditions that can be diagnosed, and treatment may be unique to each condition.
“It’s understandable to feel worried when you are told your puppy may have a problem with their heart. An assessment with a specialist will hopefully put your mind at ease. We may say that your puppy has an innocent murmur and a normal heart, but in instances where a heart problem is identified, we can explore treatment options together, to ensure they remain in good health - usually, the sooner we can intervene, the better the outcome tends to be” commented Dr Joshua Hannabuss, RVC’s Lecturer in Cardiology and Co-Head of Small Animal Cardiology
More information:
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-vet/specialist-referrals/clinical-services/veterinary-cardiology/puppy-heart-clinic
For veterinary professionals – refer to the clinic here:
https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-vet/specialist-referrals/small-animal-referral-form
