Final answer:
Chronic valvular disease in dogs predominantly affects the mitral valve. This condition, similar to human cases, can range from mild to severe and may require various treatments based on the extent of the valve malfunction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chronic Valvular Disease in Dogs
Chronic valvular disease in dogs usually involves the mitral valve. Valvular disorders in dogs and humans can result from carditis, an inflammation of the heart often triggered by an autoimmune response to infections such as rheumatic fever or scarlet fever, primarily associated with Streptococcus pyogenes. Such inflammation can lead to conditions like mitral regurgitation - a type of insufficiency where the valve doesn't close properly, allowing blood to leak backward into the heart. This is the most common type of valvular disorder, affecting approximately 2 percent of the human population, with a parallel prevalence in canine health issues.
Conditions like valvular heart disease range from benign to lethal. They can be congenital or arise from disease processes or trauma. Dogs may require medications, surgery, or simply monitoring depending on the severity of the malfunction.
Another condition that may affect heart valves is stenosis, where the valves become rigid and may calcify. In the case of acute complications such as a torn chordae tendineae or a myocardial infarction that affects the papillary muscles, emergency surgery may be needed due to the rapidly deteriorating condition of the patient.
Valvular issues can also result in endocarditis, with potential long-term damage to the heart, sometimes necessitating heart valve replacement.