Circulorty Diseases

Question 1

What is congestive heart failure?

Answer 1

The inability of the heart to pump blood adequately through the body and blood backs into the lungs (left sided heart failure) and body cavities (right sided heart failure)

Question 2

What causes congestive heart failure?

Answer 2

Congenital heart disease
Endocardial diseases
Other cardiac diseases

Question 3

What are the clinical signs of congestive heart failure ?

Answer 3

Tachycardia 
Weak pulses
Exercise intolerances
Cyanosis MM’s
Ascites
Weight loss
Hepatomegaly

Question 4

What is myocardial disease

Answer 4

Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the myocardium associated with cardiac dysfunction.
Most common cardiomypathy in cats (hypertonic cardiomyopathy)
Also seen in large dogs (dilated cardiomyopathy)

Question 5

What is myocarditis? What can cause it ?

Answer 5

Inflammation of the muscle walls of heart that results in decreased cardiac reserve in times of demand
Parvovirus can cause it

Question 6

What is endocarditis?

Answer 6

Disease of heart valves caused by chronic fibrosis and nodular thickening of valve cusps resulting in failure to close and lead to regurgitation of the blood into the atria

Question 7

What are the clinical signs of endocarditis?

Answer 7

Mitral valve disease is same as left side heart failure

tricuspid is same as right sided left side heart failure

Question 8

Clinical signs of left sided heart failure?

Answer 8

Can lead pulmonary oedema and congestion

Dyspnoea, coughing, tachypnoea, fatigue/lethargy, tachycardia, weak pulses murmur, dysarrhymias

Question 9

Clinical signs of right sided heart failure?

Answer 9

Leads to Hepatomegaly and splenomegaly

Congestion, ascites, jugular pulse, ventral oedema

Question 10

Common breeds affected by endocardiosis?

Answer 10

Rare in cats

Predisposed dog breeds inc CKCS, poodles and perkinese

Question 11

What is endocarditis? How is it caused? Which breeds does it affect?

Answer 11

Inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves

It’s uncommon in small an animal but can be cause by heart worm and bacterial infection

Question 12

Clinical signs of endocarditis?

Answer 12

Pyrexia, lethargy, shifting lameness, anorexia, heart murmur

Question 13

How is endocarditis diagnosis?

Answer 13

History and clinical examination 
X-rays of thorax
Heart scan 
ECG - echocardiography 
Blood culture

Question 14

How is endocarditis treated?

Answer 14

Broad spectrum antibiotics pending culture results?

Question 15

Name two myocardial diseases?

Answer 15

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy

Question 16

What is hypertrophic cardiomyopath?

Answer 16

Is thickening of heart muscles that interferes with relaxation of the heart preventing normal filling. This can lead to poor diastolic function , decreased cardiac out put and heart failure

Question 17

What can cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Answer 17

It can be acquired or can be secondary to hyperthyroidism, viral infection or hypertension

Question 18

Clinical signs of hypertrophic ?

Answer 18

Many clinical signs are silent, but if congestive heart failure present:
Dysponea, tachyponea, tachycardia, heart murmur.

If thromboembolism: acute on set of paralysis of hind limbs, lack of arterial pulse, pain, hind limbs cold, dysponea, tachyponea