A number of you have responded to me asking more about this condition, it does
not
seem anyone has personal experience with it, although maybe I will still hear
from some
folks as it is considered common in small breeds.
You asked me what are the symptoms--basically the first and earliest symptom is
a heart
murmur. If your vet ever tells you your Chihuahua has a heart murmur make sure
you have
a specialist do an echocardiagram to diagnose what grade it is and to monitor
it from that
point on. Heart murmurs in dogs can be very different than they are in people,
they often
result in degenerative problems with the valves (like MVD). While this
condition can be
slowed dramatically, it ultimately often leads to congestive heart failure. The
goal is to
have the dog die with it (i.e. grow old) not of it, and sometimes that is
possible.
So make sure you keep your eye out for any murmurs and beware of breeders who
play
down the significance of a heart murmur. Agatha's breeder told me they are
"normal" in
Chihuahuas (although she did not have one at the time, I suspect she came from
a line
that did or her breeder would not have planted that seed). DO NOT breed
chihuahuas who
have heart murmurs as it is a very hereditary condition.
Lastly, keep your dog thin, extra weight puts tremendous stress on its heart.
If anyone out there does have a story to share please respond to my previous
posting as I
am still looking for stories and peer support.
-Kerry
" Lets talk about our wonderful little friends!
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