- Home
- Dog Conditions
- Atrial Tear in Dogs
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
- Weakness or collapse – may follow excess activity or excitement
- Cough
- Difficult breathing
- Increased heart rate
- Weakened pulse
- Heart murmurs, arrhythmia, or other common signs of cardiac disease
- Incomplete - If the tear in the atrium isn’t a complete tear, it’s possible that it will be temporarily sealed. From this, the tear will either heal or continue until it is a complete tear.
- Complete - A complete left atrial tear will likely lead to bleeding into the pericardial sac and can be life-threatening.
- Interatrial septum (a wall of tissue dividing the two uppermost atria chambers of the heart) - If the tear occurs on the dividing atrium wall, an atrial septal defect may result.
- Mitral valve endocardiosis - which results from the leaking of the mitral valve. The mitral valve is responsible for blood flow to and from the heart.
- Chordae tendineae rupture - which is when the chordae tendineae (strong, fibrous strings that attach to the lower chamber of the heart connecting the papillary muscles and the ventricle) rupture.
- Trauma to the chest - such as blunt force from an object or being hit by a car.
- Cardiac neoplasia - the abnormal growth of tissue in the heart. The most common cardiac neoplasia to cause tears in the atrial wall is hemangiosarcoma.
- Cardiac catheterization - the threading of a catheter to your heart in order to diagnose heart conditions or otherwise monitor health.
- Physical exam
- Urinalysis
- Laboratory tests to measure NT-proBNP and TnI levels
- X-rays
- Echocardiography, which uses ultrasound to learn about the action of the heart
- In the event of a left atrial tear, pericardiocentesis, a process that uses a needle to remove fluid from the pericardial sac, may be used as a means of treatment, though it will be difficult.
- Your veterinarian may recommend a treatment process that aims to reduce the pressure in the left atrium. This will likely use medication combinations, such as diuretics and arterial vasodilators (used to dilate arteries).
- Surgery may be completed to remove the pressure on the left atrium, but this could be risky.
Worried about the cost of treating your pet's symptoms?
Pet Insurance covers the cost of many common pet health conditions. Prepare for the unexpected by getting a quote from top pet insurance providers.
3 found this helpful
3 found this helpful
2 found this helpful
2 found this helpful
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
