Mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy are leading causes of heart failure in dogs. Modern treatment options significantly extend quality of life when disease is detected early.
Dog cardiac welfare has been transformed by evidence from landmark clinical trials showing that early treatment intervention significantly extends good quality of life. Dogs with MMVD who receive pimobendan before heart failure onset have substantially longer periods of good welfare than untreated dogs. The welfare improvement from this intervention is measurable and meaningful - dogs maintain activity, appetite, and social engagement for longer. Owner recognition of subtle early signs - slightly reduced exercise tolerance, mild coughing - enables earlier veterinary assessment and intervention. The welfare case for breed-specific cardiac screening programs is strong given the high prevalence of cardiac disease in certain breeds.