After numerous trips to the vet since September 7, Maggie finally got a diagnosis. We had been taking Maggie to Noah Animal Hospital but we felt information was getting lost in translation. Dr. Jahana would prescribe medication but could never explain why. We decided it was time to make an appointment on base. We saw Dr. Ono a few weeks ago and she scheduled a follow up for yesterday. She wanted to observe Maggie's heart. Dr. Ono gave Maggie a mild sedative and performed an ultra sound on her heart. Maggie was diagnosed with mitral valve regurgitation.
Mitral valve regurgitation is a form of heart disease. When the valve between the two left chambers of the heart (the “mitral” valve, between the left atrium and left ventricle) fails to form a tight seal, the blood pumped from the atrium into the ventricle tends to be “regurgitated” back into the atrium.
The heart muscle is a pump that moves blood through the four chambers with involuntary contractions that promote the one-directional flow of the blood. The valves between the chambers prevent the back flow of blood into the preceding chamber, thus keeping the blood flowing in the direction it should.
When the valves degenerate over time they become thickened and deformed, thereby losing the tight seal and causing some blood to move backwards in the heart. This means the heart has to work harder to pump the volume of blood the body needs for normal functions.
Maggie is currently on two medications to to help her with blood flow and they seem to be helping as her cough has subsided. We will continue to monitor her and hope for the best!
1 comment:
At least you know what is going on with her at this point...hope she feels better and you feel better by proxy...
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