• General Procedures: To gather data regarding heart diseases in dogs, and to identify dogs which are phenotypically normal prior to use in a breeding program. Congenital heart disease in dogs is a malformation of the heart or great vessels. The lesions characterizing congenital heart defects are present at birth and may develop more fully during perinatal and growth periods. Many congenital heart defects are thought to be genetically transmitted from parents to offspring; however, the exact modes of inheritance have not been precisely determined for all cardiovascularmalformations. The most common congenital cardiovascular defects can be grouped into several anatomic categories. These anatomic diagnoses include:
• Malformation of the atrioventricular valves
• Malformation of the ventricular outflow leading to obstruction of blood flow
• Defects of the cardiac septa (shunts)
• Abnormal develop of the great vessels or other vascular structures
• Complex, multiple, or other congenital disorders of the heart, pericardium, or bloodvessels.

The clinical cardiac examination should be conducted in a systematic manner. The arterial and venous pulses, mucous membranes, and precordium should be evaluated. Heart rate should be obtained. The clinical examination should be performed by an individual with advanced training in cardiac diagnosis. Board certification by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Specialty of Cardiology is considered by the American Veterinary Medical Association as the benchmark of clinical proficiency for veterinarians in clinical cardiology, and examination by a Diplomate of this specialty board is recommended. Other veterinarians may be able to perform these examinations, provided they have received advanced training in the subspecialty of congenital heart disease.

Types of Cardiac Exams by a board certified cardiologist:
Auscultation (listening with a stethoscope)
Echocardiograms