Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)

Overview

Ventricular septal defect, or as it is sometimes referred to: VSD, is a genuine cause for concern amongst UK dogs of all breeds.

This condition, as it’s name suggests, affects the ventricles within a dog’s heart and can be very complex in both diagnosis and treatment.

A ventricular septal defect occurs before a puppy is born while they are developing in the womb. When a normal puppy embryo is forming it will develop a single tube that eventually splits into four chambers forming the pumping mechanism for the heart. These four chambers resemble other mammal heart’s, like humans, and the design is the backbone of warm blooded life across the planet.

In dogs suffering from ventricular septal defect this single tube fails to fuse in it’s normal way with the other ventricles. This failure causes a cavity or hole within the heart’s inner wall where the fusing has failed.

As mentioned above, a dog’s heart works much in the same way as a human heart. That is to say that blood in the left ventricle travel in one direction, the opposite direction to the blood in the right ventricle which is also travelling one way.

With a ventricular septal defect the hole exposes blood from one ventricle into another. This means that blood travelling in the wrong direction will mix with blood coming the other way. This causes the heart to have to work even harder to push blood against the flow so that it can allow enough oxygen to circulate through the body.

It is with this overworking of the heart that the muscle itself cannot cope with the load and therefore sometimes fails. In severe instances this can fatal for the affected puppy.

In some cases depending on the size and the exact location of the hole, blood may travel freely between the left and right side meaning that the blood now does not pass the lungs to refill on oxygen which can also have obvious immediate and fatal repercussions.

Symptoms

Since ventricular septal defects happen during the embryo stage, as mentioned above, symptoms tend to present early on in a puppy’s life.

Depending on the extent of the condition in the puppy the usual diagnosis can be made by identifying an unusual heart murmur.

UK Puppies suffering from small defects will present a small audible heart murmur. In many of these cases, the murmur is only audible for the first few weeks but is still fairly noticeable to UK veterinarians.

Depending on the severity of the defect some puppies may present with an audible murmur but show no other symptoms. In many of these cases it is entirely possible that the defect will close and mend itself to the point where it is no longer a concern.

Whilst these cases can be rarer in nature they do still happen. It is important that your veterinarian monitors the puppy closely in these situations from diagnosis to aftercare. A puppy that is showing no symptoms will not necessarily see the condition improve and many have been observed to worsen with lack of treatment.

On the other end of the severity scale, UK puppies suffering severe ventricular septal defects will usually present with a loud and noticeable murmur.

Whilst the murmur is aloud, other symptoms and can do present themselves later on in the puppy’s life. This can be for a variety of factors but is usually a reaction to the condition worsening as time goes by.

Common symptoms for ventricular septal defects in UK dogs are, but not limited to:

Enlarged heart
Audible heart murmurs
Shortness of breathe
Unwillingness to exercise
Grey mucous
Coughing

UK veterinarians can diagnosis cases relatively easily by listening for a murmur using a stethoscope or by performing a EKG on the puppy’s heart.

Affected Breeds

As of 2020 it is not thought that the defect is one that is inherited from mother to puppy but that is not yet conclusively proven to be the case with some critics believing the opposite to be true.

What we do know is that some breeds appear to be more susceptible to the condition than others. The reason for this is unknown and the research on the matter is still very much in progress.

Breeds in the UK that have a higher rate of ventricular septal defects are:

These breeds show a significant number of ventricular septal defects in comparison to other dog breeds in the UK and it is advised that any owners of these breeds keep a close eye on their puppy’s early months.

Treatment

Treatment for ventricular septal defects in UK dogs normally takes the form of two routes.

Many puppies suffering with mild ventricular septal defects are managemd through observation, medication and strict diet/exercise routines. Since many heart defects can be linked to diet and exercise, this can in many cases be enough to keep your dog healthy or for the defect to revert to a working state.

In more severe cases surgery is normally the best approach. Whilst surgery is available as an option to most, the costs associated with the procedure can price many UK dog owners out of it as a solution.

This is largely due to the technical and intricate nature of the surgical procedure required to mend the defect within the puppy’s heart.

In most cases of surgery, the puppy in question will more than likely have to follow a similar diet/exercise routine that less server cases a prescribed.

Treatment Cost

Veterinary costs for UK dogs suffering from a ventricular septal defect can be very costly depending on it’s severity, as mentioned above.

Whilst puppy’s suffering from a less severe case of the condition will be predominantly advised to take medication, it is important to understand that the dog in question will likely have to continue this medication for the duration of it’s life.

A lifetime supply of heart medication will quickly add up and whilst the outlay is insignificant in comparison to surgery costs below, the overall expenditure may outweigh it eventually.

When it comes to surgery, there are a number of options that a veterinarian can take depending on what they believe is the best course of action for you dog and breed.

In any eventuality, the costs of ventricular septal defect surgery in UK dogs is going to be anywhere from £4000 to £8000 depending on a variety of factors.

Your Pet insurance should cover this procedure but you will need to check your individual policy to be sure.