Idiopathic Issues

While your veterinary cardiology courses have likely covered a wide variety of cardiac diseases, both common and uncommon, there is one presentation that you are almost guaranteed to see in your first year as a new grad: a dog in congestive heart failure (CHF).

If you are comfortable with this, you will be able to handle the overwhelming majority of what’s expected of a general practice vet! 

Congenital heart disease is not all that common in dogs; in fact, studies estimate that fewer than 1% of dogs are affected by congenital heart disease.¹ Although these conditions are uncommon, they can have a significant impact on affected dogs. Therefore, it’s important for you to keep these conditions on your radar when seeing young puppies for new pet exams and wellness visits. 

The five most common congenital heart defects in dogs, in order of decreasing frequency, are patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonic stenosis, aortic stenosis, persistent right aortic arch, and ventricular septal defect. You are likely to see at least some of these conditions over the course of your career; having a basic understanding of clinical signs and diagnostic workup can help you diagnose and treat these puppies as quickly as possible.