Feline Arterial Thromboembolism Feline Arterial Thromboembolism (FATE) is a disease affecting feline patients resulting from blockage of peripheral arteries by abnormal clot formation in the body. In cardiac patients, this often results as a complication of cardiac enlargement from underlying cardiac disease. Primary cardiac diseases that may result in clot formation include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, […]

    Ventricular Septal Defect Your pet has been diagnosed with a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD). A VSD is a malformation of the wall (interventricular septum) between the two pumping chambers (ventricles) allowing an abnormal communication. A VSD is a type of congenital defect, which means it is present from birth. VSDs are classified based […]

Subaortic Stenosis Your dog has been diagnosed with Subaortic Stenosis (SAS). SAS is a congenital defect that causes an abnormal narrowing of tissue just below the aortic valve. The region tends to progressively narrow over the first year of life. It is commonly heritable so the breeder of your puppy should be notified if possible. […]

      Pulmonic Stenosis   Pulmonic Stenosis (PS) refers to a narrowing of the valve at the opening of the pulmonary artery. The term pulmonic stenosis usually implies that there is valvular pulmonic stenosis; however, supravalvular (above) and subvalvular (below) pulmonic stenosis share the same pathophysiology and are often used to describe the same disorder. Valvular […]

    Pulmonary Hypertension   Your dog has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Pulmonary hypertension is the term used to describe pathologically elevated pulmonary arterial pressure. It is a separate disease entity than systemic hypertension, which describes high blood pressure in the rest of the body.   In order for you to understand how […]

                                         Pericardial Effusion Pericardial Effusion is the inappropriately large volume of fluid that forms in the sac around the heart (called the “pericardium”). As this fluid volume increases it puts pressure on the heart and impacts the […]

    Your pet has been diagnosed with a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).  The patent ductus is a vessel that is present in fetal life so that blood can bypass the yet functioning lungs. Once exposed to oxygen after birth, this vessel should close on its own. However, in your pet, this did not happen. […]

      Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy One of the most common heart diseases seen in cats, HCM is a disease that causes the heart muscle to abnormally thicken.  The thickening primarily affects the muscle of the left pumping chamber (called “left ventricle”) and does so in a variety of patterns. Some cat’s muscle is diffusely thickened […]

    Dilated Cardiomyopathy   Your dog has been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This is a disease of the heart muscle that results in diminished contractile function and dilation of the heart.   In order to understand how this disease may affect your dog, it is important to understand normal circulation in the heart. […]

Congestive Heart Failure Congestive heart failure (CHF) refers to the build-up of fluid within the lungs and body cavities as a result of heart disease. The heart works as a pump to move blood throughout the body, and when heart disease affects the ability to keep moving blood forward, fluid retention typically results. Usually this […]