The Heart Function of a Greyhound
Sept 22, 2020 6:01:43 GMT 10
Post by Tom Meulman on Sept 22, 2020 6:01:43 GMT 10
The heart function of a Greyhound
From the cardiovascular standpoint, normal Greyhounds typically have a left-sided basilar systolic murmur (an abnormal heart sound caused by turbulent blood flow or swirling) that irradiates into the carotid artery, this murmur is louder when the dog is excited.
The murmur is due to the fact that they have a very large left ventricle (cardiac chamber that pumps blood to the body). This is needed to pump their highly viscous blood though the muscle tissue during exercise.
However, the diameter of the aortic annulus (“exit door” of the left ventricle) is similar to that in other breeds of dogs of equivalent size, thus resulting in an abnormal heart sound due to the high aortic velocity.
This larger left ventricle in Greyhounds also results in a high vertebral heart score (VHS), and an erroneous diagnosis of cardiomegaly on radiographs.
Greyhounds also have higher concentrations of serum troponin I and proBNP (biomarkers of heart disease) than other dogs, and they are frequently in the range of a dog with cardiomyopathy.
Greyhounds and other sighthounds (except Irish Wolfhounds) also have very high blood pressure.
A Greyhound may have systolic BP of >160 mmHg upon presentation to a veterinarian. However with Greyhounds being at the vet’s often has what’s called a “white coat effect” on BP.
Therefore it’s quite normal for a Greyhound to have systolic BPs in the 160 mmHg range at the vet’s, but only 120 mmHg at home in their own kennel.
These structural differences in the heart of a greyhound compared to that of a dog of another breed can create the erroneous impression that the dog is suffering from heart disease.
But no the heart of a greyhound is special in more ways than one.
From the cardiovascular standpoint, normal Greyhounds typically have a left-sided basilar systolic murmur (an abnormal heart sound caused by turbulent blood flow or swirling) that irradiates into the carotid artery, this murmur is louder when the dog is excited.
The murmur is due to the fact that they have a very large left ventricle (cardiac chamber that pumps blood to the body). This is needed to pump their highly viscous blood though the muscle tissue during exercise.
However, the diameter of the aortic annulus (“exit door” of the left ventricle) is similar to that in other breeds of dogs of equivalent size, thus resulting in an abnormal heart sound due to the high aortic velocity.
This larger left ventricle in Greyhounds also results in a high vertebral heart score (VHS), and an erroneous diagnosis of cardiomegaly on radiographs.
Greyhounds also have higher concentrations of serum troponin I and proBNP (biomarkers of heart disease) than other dogs, and they are frequently in the range of a dog with cardiomyopathy.
Greyhounds and other sighthounds (except Irish Wolfhounds) also have very high blood pressure.
A Greyhound may have systolic BP of >160 mmHg upon presentation to a veterinarian. However with Greyhounds being at the vet’s often has what’s called a “white coat effect” on BP.
Therefore it’s quite normal for a Greyhound to have systolic BPs in the 160 mmHg range at the vet’s, but only 120 mmHg at home in their own kennel.
These structural differences in the heart of a greyhound compared to that of a dog of another breed can create the erroneous impression that the dog is suffering from heart disease.
But no the heart of a greyhound is special in more ways than one.