Congenital cardiac defects affect a significant number of dogs, with welfare outcomes depending on defect type, severity, and appropriateness of management.
Congenital cardiac defects create welfare burdens that range from minimal (small VSDs) to life-threatening without intervention (PDA causing left heart failure). The welfare-positive aspect of PDA is its treatability: catheter-based correction in puppyhood provides an essentially normal life expectancy and quality of life. Untreated PDA progresses to congestive heart failure within months to years, causing progressive exercise intolerance, breathlessness, and deteriorating quality of life. Early diagnosis through puppy murmur screening enables appropriate referral and intervention before cardiac remodeling becomes irreversible.