My dog's vet said her heart is slow. What do echocardiogram results mean?

I don’t think the heart looks terribly enlarged, maybe on the big side of normal. Ask the vet who took the rads if they are able to submit them to a radiologist for review. (A radiologist is a vet who spent at least 3 additional years to do a residency to specialize and study only imaging. Their expertise is really valuable in cases that are not clear cut and obvious.) If his lab work is all normal, and a radiologist is concerned about the appearance of the heart, then it’s logical to seek out an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) by a veterinary cardiologist. If a radiologist does NOT think the heart looks questionable, and Boo’s lab work is all normal, it might be worth considering an abdominal ultrasound (sonogram of the belly) to see if there are any abnormalities there (enlarged lymph nodes, abnormal spleen, any abnormality in GI or urinary tract, etc). I hope that’s helpful, sorry there is no easy clear cut answer. Interpreting X-rays is like looking at 1 piece of a puzzle. History and clinical signs, physical exam, lab work, and other imaging all tie in to the bigger picture. If you would like to have a consult, I may be able to help you further with more information, and would do my best to help point you in the right direction. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm sorry but you should be talking to your vet about all these questions. We don't have enough information about her condition(s) to be helpful. It sounds like she needs chest x-rays done. The hard lump under the nipple is probably a mammary tumor. You need to point it out to the vet. Her kidney values look normal from those tests. One liver enzyme is elevated and it could be coming from any number of areas and not just the liver. I would not be worried about the kidneys or liver based on these test results. I would be more worried about the heart, the coughing and the mammary tumor so I suggest x-rays to look at the lungs and the trachea. I do not know what they mean about the heart is slow. You will need to ask your vet for more information.

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach! Based on the radiograph you attached, the vertebral heart score (VHS) is on the larger measurement and overall the heart does have increased contact with the sternum. There does not appear to be evidence of heart failure, but I am limited with one x-ray view and no ability to adjust the contrast. I don't know what medication your veterinarian started Bono on but in this case, I would recommend starting omega 3 fish oil, Pimobendan (prescription medication that helps delay on the onset of heart failure and helps the heart pump more efficiently). I would also look into heart supplements such as Standard Process Whole Body Support and Cardiac support (if available in your country). Here is an article from my hospital on heart disease and what to look out for. Mitral valve disease is one of the most common heart conditions we see in dogs. I hope this helps and provides you with more information. If you have any concerns, I would reach out to the veterinarian who has been seeing Bono. https://www.neighborhoodvetclinic.com/degenerative-valve-disease-myxomatous-mitral-valve-disease/

It depends on the type of heart condition, as there are many. Tests to evaluate heart disease can include x-rays, ultrasound, or electrocardiogram to check his heart rhythm and electrical activity. Depending on the condition it may be beneficial to avoid strenuous exercise. I'd recommend discussing it with your veterinarian.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Tracker has a heart murmur. Dogs can have heart murmurs for a number of reasons (physiologic murmurs, murmurs due to anemia or low red blood cell count), but the most common cause is due to a structural issue with the heart. This is most often associated with the heart valves. A murmur occurs because the valves aren't functioning properly, causing the blood flow to be more turbulent and produce an audible sound (when ausculted with a stethoscope). An ultrasound of the heart (called an echocardiogram) allows a veterinarian to look at the structure of the heart and determine the degree of dysfunction in any of the valves. Some dogs do not require medication if the structural issues are mild, but if they are severe, your veterinarian may recommend certain medications to help Tracker's heart function the best it can and therefore keep him alive and well as long as possible. I hope this is helpful!

An enlarged heart could mean that your dog is developing heart disease but it could also just be normal for your dog. Your vet could submit a blood test called a proBNP which helps detect heart disease. You could also have a cardiologist perform an ultrasound of her heart to evaluate the function of her hear and measure the size.

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. VHS or Vertebral Heart Score is a measure of the size of the heart, and would not be related to the dog's respiratory rate or level of anxiety. Normal VHS usually ranges from 8.5-10.5, so Angel's VHS is a bit high. There are a number of things that could cause a heart to become larger than normal, so to have more information about what might be causing the increased size of Angel's heart, an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) should be performed. Your primary vet should be able to help guide you to a specialty vet clinic that would be able to perform an echo. Hope this helps, and good luck to you and Angel.