Cardiac diseases

Question 1

Define Preload

Answer 1

Amount of blood entering the heart (should be equal to afterload in a normal healthy heart)

Question 2

Define Afterload

Answer 2

The amount of blood exiting the heart (should be equal to preload in a normal healthy heart)

Question 3

What are the three most common cardiac diseases in vet met? And which species do each effect the most?

Answer 3

1) Mitral valve insufficiency - dogs
2) Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - cats
3) Endocartitis - cattle

Question 4

What is the difference between Primary cardiac disease and Secondary cardiac disease?

Answer 4

Primary = something goes wrong with the heart itself

Secondary = something goes wrong somewhere else in the body and has created a cardiac issue

Question 5

How do you grade a heart murmur?

Answer 5

Grade 1 = easy to miss
Grade 4 = as loud as the heart itself
Grade 6 = can feel

Question 6

A murmer is described by 3 factors, what are those factors?

Answer 6

• How loud the murmur is
• Where over the chest is the loudest
• Associated with systole or diastole

Question 7

True or False:

The prognosis is usually BETTER once clinical signs are present.

Answer 7

False - they get worse

Question 8

What does DCM stand for?

Answer 8

Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Question 9

What is the pathology of DCM?

Answer 9

The hear becomes weak, and distended over time. The outline becomes larger and rounded. As the muscle contunies to stretch fibers may lose their ability to co-ordinate contractions and the pumps become less effective.

Question 10

What are the clinica signs of DCM?

Answer 10

Weakness, lethargy, exercise intolerance, cough, syncope, and sudden collapse.

Question 11

What are the tx goals of any cardiac disease?

Answer 11

Lower BP and HR, and increase the strength of the contractions of the heart.

Question 12

What does HCM stand for?

Answer 12

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Question 13

True or False:

HCM is a common secondary condition of other underlying cardiac disease which increase BP?

Answer 13

True

Question 14

What is the pathology of HCM?

Answer 14

Muscle thickens inwards and the ventriclular space gets smaller

Question 15

Where would blood back up if a patient has HCM?

Answer 15

Lungs

Question 16

What are some clinical signs of HCM?

Answer 16

Murmur, arrythmia, dyspnea, crackles, open mouth breathing, cyanosis, swollen abdomen, and hind end weakness/paralysis.

Question 17

In cats with HCM what is our main concern? What are we going to try to prevent?

Answer 17

Saddle thrombolus

Question 18

What id the difference between Pulmonary edema and Pleural effusion?

Answer 18

Pul= fluid in lungs
Ple= fluid in the pleural space around lungs

Question 19

What is ascites?

Answer 19

Clear fluid in abdominal space, from the abdominal blood vessles

Question 20

What is the difference between Endocardiosis and Endocarditis?

Answer 20

…diosis= Disease where the valves are thickened/distorted and no infection or inflammation is involved

…ditis= Inflammation of the endocardium

Question 21

In which species is Mitral Valve Insufficiency most common?

Answer 21

Dogs and horses

Question 22

What is mitral valve insufficiency?

Answer 22

Degenerative disease where the mitral valve thickens and stiffens to the point where it stops closing properly.

Question 23

True or False:

Mitral Valve Insufficiency is almost never progressive.

Answer 23

False - it is ALWAYS progressive

Question 24

Which dogs are most at risk of mitral valve insufficiency?

Answer 24

Older, male, small breed dogs

Question 25

Name some clinical signs of mitral valve insufficiency

Answer 25

Begins with a slight heart murmur, leading to exercise intolerance, tachycardia, and wet coughing.

Question 26

What is heart failure?

Answer 26

When the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

Question 27

How can we classify heart failure?

Answer 27

• Subclinical, Clinical, Congestive
• Left sided, Right sided
• Degree of clinical signs and functional impairment

Question 28

a) Where does LEFT sided congestive heart failure back up into?
b) Where does RIGHT sided congestive heart failure back up into?

Answer 28

a) lungs

b) liver