soontobedvm:

Disclaimer: The following is a list of breeds and the heart diseases they can commonly get. I am NOT saying only this breed gets this disease, nor am I saying that every dog of this breed will get this disease. This is simply a short list of the common doggies one thinks of when examining a particular heart disease. So without further ado:

-> Doberman Pinscher: Dobies are prone to Dilated Cardiomyopathy, or DCM. This is a disease where the heart becomes enlarged and dilated, and is unable to contract and therefore pump blood properly. This commonly results in congestive heart failure. 

-> Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Oh my cute little spaniels… I don’t think I’ve met one yet without a heart murmur. These get Mitral Valve Degeneration (also known as Endocardiosis). This is a relatively common change in the valves where they become knobby and unable to close correctly. This allows moderate to insane amounts of blood to spill back into the atrium (called regurgitation), which is the main reason you hear a murmur, and of course causes the heart to work harder.

-> Boxers: Nothing says poster child like having a disease named after you. Boxer Cardiomyopathy, or  Boxer arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), if you want to get fancy. This is the disease of the heart’s muscle (myocardium), that results in some serious and sometimes fatal arrhythmias.

-> Miniature Schnauzer: Sick Sinus Syndrome, or AKA the heart auscultation that might just stop your own heart! I’ve recently heard one of these and just about fell over! This is a disease where the sinus node, a very crucial part of the heart that sends electrical pulses to help with heart rate and contraction, doesn’t work too well, resulting in a slow heart rate or even pauses in between beats.

Check out the ECG below. See the FLATLINE? The heart shouldn’t stop beating for that long!! No wonder these dogs often present for sudden collapse! 

(image from lifeinthefastlane.com)