Mitral valve disease is the most common cardiac condition in dogs, and regular monitoring detects the transition to heart failure that requires treatment to prevent acute welfare crises.
MVD progresses silently through its preclinical stages before causing the acute welfare crisis of congestive heart failure. Regular monitoring is the welfare-protective activity that enables early detection of significant disease before decompensation. EPIC and DELAY trial evidence demonstrates that pimobendan started in the appropriate preclinical stage significantly delays the onset of heart failure, preventing the acute welfare harm of cardiac decompensation and extending the period of good quality of life before heart failure develops. Monitoring is therefore not merely passive observation but an active welfare intervention that enables timely protective treatment.