Heart examination: auscultation and echocardiography
Description
For heart conditions, the breeding programmes approved by DWV use auscultation and echocardiography. For congenital heart conditions and mitral valve disease (MVD), the examination starts with auscultation; if a heart murmur of grade 1 or higher is found, an echocardiography follows. For dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), echocardiography is the examination and Holter monitoring is strongly recommended.
How the examination is carried out
Age and frequency differ per condition. Congenital heart conditions: at least 1 year, once. MVD: at least 1 year, valid for 1 year in most breeding programmes. DCM: from 3 years, valid for 1 year.
How to read the result
A heart murmur is graded from 0 (no murmur) to 6. For congenital heart conditions the breeding advice is only positive when both parent dogs have grade 0; the other combinations are subject to a breeding ban. For DCM the result is clear, suspect or present, and the breeding advice is only positive when both parent dogs are clear. In most breeding programmes a suspect dog must be retested after 6 months. The breeding programme warns: without Holter monitoring there is no certainty that a dog is free of DCM.
Breeds for which this screening is recommended
We are rebuilding the health information for each breed from the official breeding programme of Dierenwelzijn Vlaanderen (Animal Welfare Flanders). Until then, you can find the mandatory and recommended health tests for this breed in the breeding programmes under the Flemish Breeding Decree (Fokkerijbesluit). View the official breeding programmes
