Pericardial Disease in Dogs

Pericardial Disease in Dogs

By: PetPlace Veterinarians

Section: Information In-depth

There are a variety of causes of pericardial disease.

  • Peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia is a congenital disorder with no known cause. It is present from birth.

  • Pericardial effusion often occurs secondary to pericarditis i.e. inflammation of the pericardium. Fluid that accumulates within the pericardium may be a result of either peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia, right-sided heart failure, cysts, low blood protein, or infection. Bleeding into the pericardium may be caused by heart tumors, trauma, or blood clotting problems. In some cases, the cause of the pericardial effusion cannot be determined.

  • Pericardial constriction most often develops secondary to chronic inflammation, particularly from infection, but also occurs secondary to recurrent hemorrhage or as a consequence of diffuse cancer.

    Pericardial disease can occur in dogs of any age.
    Weimaraners are predisposed to peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernias. GoldenGolden Retrievers Book
    Barron's Golden Retrievers Book instructs owners on general canine care, whether they keep their Retriever as a hunter or as a home companion. Boo...     retrievers are more likely to have bleeding in the pericardium from an unknown cause. Heart tumors, primarily hemangiosarcoma, are more common in German shepherdsThe German Shepherd Dog Book
    Big, handsome, hardy, high-spirited, and good-natured, the German shepherd has been a favorite since the 1890s when it first became a registered breed...    , goldenGolden Retrievers Book
    Barron's Golden Retrievers Book instructs owners on general canine care, whether they keep their Retriever as a hunter or as a home companion. Boo...     retrievers and LabradorLabrador Retrievers Book
    The docile, friendly, affectionate lab makes a fine household pet and is very good with children. Barron's Labrador Retrievers Book provides ...     retrievers. Another type of heart tumor, called an aortic body tumor, is especially common in older short-nosed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs or PekingesePekingese Book
    First raised as palace pets by ancient Chinese royalty, the Pekingese have been in Europe and America for approximately a century. Barron's Peking...    .

    The prognosis for pericardial disease depends on the cause. Dogs with bleeding into the pericardium from an unknown cause have a fair to good prognosis. Dogs with pericardial fluid accumulation caused by infection have a guarded prognosis. Dogs with pericardial fluid accumulations arising as a result of a heart tumor have a poor prognosis.

     
    Printable Version
     
    Have a Pet Question?
    Send Your Pet Question to Dr. Jon
    and His Staff of Veterinarians Ask Dr. Jon
    Dr. Jon's Newsletter
    Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...
     
     

    Related Articles
    • Related Articles
     

    Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

    Dogs & Puppies
    Cats
    Related Articles