Mitral Valve Dysplasia in dogs

Species: Dog
Condition: Mitral Valve Dysplasia
Organ System: Nervous/sensory

Your dog’s heart is divided into chambers; these are connected by valves which ensure that blood circulates the right way. In mitral valve dysplasia one of these valves has a defect which causes blood to flow backwards, meaning that the heart has to work harder to maintain circulation. In severe cases the heart may be unable to compensate completely for the faulty valve resulting in fluid building up in the lungs. This then leads to your dog having breathing difficulties. Mitral valve dysplasia is usually first detected when your vet checks your pup’s heart as part of a routine check-up and can be managed with prescribed drugs.

Breeds exposed to Mitral Valve Dysplasia – Research Reference
Airedale Terrier Cross – (Tidholm & Jonsson 1997)
Dobermann Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Irish Water Spaniel Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Old English Sheepdog Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Boxer Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Rottweiler Cross – (Borgarelli et al. 2006)
Newfoundland Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Neopolitan Mastiff Cross – (Borgarelli et al. 2006)
Poodle – Standard Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Wolfhound Cross – (Vollmar 2000)
St Bernard Cross – (Tidholm & Jonsson 1997)
Deerhound Cross – (Meurs 2003b)
Irish Wolfhound Cross – (Vollmar 2000)
Schnoodle Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Doberman Pinscher – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Doberman Pinscher Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Boxer – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Cocker Spaniel – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Dobermann – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Great Dane – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Irish Water Spaniel – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Newfoundland – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Old English Sheepdog – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Poodle – Standard – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Golden Doodle (Groodle) – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Spoodle – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Schnoodle – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Labradoodle – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Spoodle Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Great Dane Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Cocker Spaniel Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)
Neopolitan Mastiff – (Borgarelli et al. 2006)
Rottweiler – (Borgarelli et al. 2006)
Deerhound – (Meurs 2003b)
Irish Wolfhound – (Vollmar 2000)
Wolfhound – (Vollmar 2000)
Airedale Terrier – (Tidholm & Jonsson 1997)
St Bernard – (Tidholm & Jonsson 1997)
Labradoodle Cross – Canine Inherited Disorders Database (CIDD)

Disease Author
Dr Merliza Cabriles, Professor of Veterinary Medicine

To learn more about Mitral Valve Dysplasia or any other condition we invite you to search this website. Even better, pick up the phone and call your vet. Your vet knows your pet better than anyone else and is a fountain of information.