Diagnosing and Treating Common Congenital Heart Defects

Is the most common congenital defect in dogs. It is a LR shunting defect resulting from failure of closure of the left sixth aortic arch. If left untreated it results in left sided congestive heart failure. Clinically animals present with a Continuous (Machinery) Murmur at the left heart base with Hyperkinetic Femoral Pulses. A systolic murmur of mitral regurgitation may also be ausculted secondary to annular dilation from volume overload of the left ventricle.