Practice Scenario

Say hello to Benny, an adult, small-breed dog.

Meet BENNY

A 5-year-old, neutered male Chihuahua

  • Benny is presented for a routine physical examination and vaccinations.
  • Benny eats about ½ cup of a high-quality dry dog food that is split into two meals. He also gets a couple of small treats daily. While Benny does not receive table scraps, he does get an occasional bite-size piece of watermelon, which he enjoys.
  • Benny weighs 4.1 kg (9 lbs.) with a body condition score of 5/9 and normal muscle mass.
  • On exam, Benny is bright, alert, and responsive. He has no coughing or wheezing, and lungs sounds are normal. On auscultation, a grade III/VI systolic murmur is heard over the left heart apex. Heart rate and rhythm are normal. The rest of Benny’s exam is unremarkable.

Cardiovascular Disorders

Dietary Management of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD)

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common heart disease in dogs. Current nutritional guidelines focus on recommendations for dogs after they show evidence of cardiac changes. But new research demonstrates that a Cardiac Protection Blend (CPB) of nutrients can help improve heart function and slow disease progression in dogs with early stage MMVD–before dogs show signs of heart failure.

canine heart icon

Key Messages

  • Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common cause of acquired canine heart disease.1-3 
    • In North America, MMVD accounts for approximately 75% of canine heart disease.1
    • Most affected dogs are older, small breed dogs weighing less than 20 kg, although MMVD can also occur in larger dogs.1,4
       
  • Dogs with MMVD appear healthy until they reach later stages of disease. But, internally, the heart is changing even in this preclinical time.1
    • MMVD is a slowly progressive disease, but the rate of progression is hard to predict.1
    • Approximately 30% of dogs with MMVD progress to advanced disease.2,5 
  • Current nutritional recommendations focus mainly on managing signs after congestive heart failure occurs, but new research shows that a Cardiac Protection Blend (CPB) of nutrients can help improve heart function and slow disease progression in dogs with early stage MMVD.1,6,7
    • A 6-month dietary study showed clinical benefits in key cardiac measures in dogs with early stage MMVD that were fed CPB in a complete and balanced diet.6
      • More than 1/3 of dogs on the control diet progressed from B1 to B2; there was no progression in the CPB-fed dogs.
      • Left atrial size increased by an average 10% in control-fed dogs; CPB-fed dogs had an average 3% decrease in left atrial size.
      • Severity of mitral regurgitation worsened in 25% of control-fed dogs, but in CPB dogs, only 10% worsened and 30% improved.
    • Metabolomics research showed that clinical benefits in dogs fed the CPB were associated with positive changes at the molecular level.7,8
       
conversation starter

"MMVD is a slowly progressive disease that may never affect the daily life of your dog. But about 30% of dogs with MMVD will develop advanced disease. New studies show there are nutritional changes we can make in your dog’s diet right now that can help slow progression of MMVD and improve heart function."

Related Tools and Content:

ACVIM Classification of Heart Disease and Heart Failure in Dogs with MMVD

View a short video about the ACVIM classification of heart disease.

Watch Video 1 min to 5 min

Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease

Read about the science behind a novel nutritional intervention for dogs with early stage MMVD.

View Research 6 min to 10 min

Dietary Management of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD)

A novel nutritional intervention can help improve heart function and slow disease progression in dogs with early stage MMVD.

View Brief 1 min to 5 min

To Share With Pet Owner:

Nutrition and Heart Health

The heart is a vital organ that relies on specific nutrients and a continuous supply of energy to support and maintain a regular rate and rhythm, yet the role of nutrition in pets’ cardiac health is often overlooked.

View Hot Topic 6 min to 10 min

References

  1. Keene, B. W., Atkins, C. E., Bonagura, J. D., Fox, P. R., Häggström, J., Fuentes, V. L., Oyama, M. A., Rush, J. E., Stepien, R., & Uechi, M. (2019). ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 33(3), 1127–1140.
  2. Borgarelli, M., Crosara, S., Lamb, K., Savarino, P., La Rosa, G., Tarducci, A., & Häggström, J. (2012). Survival characteristics and prognostic variables of dogs with preclinical chronic degenerative mitral valve disease attributable to myxomatous degeneration. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 26(1), 69–75. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00860.x.
  3. Buchanan, J. W. (1977). Chronic valvular disease (endocardiosis) in dogs. Advances in Veterinary Science, 21, 57–106.
  4. Parker, H. G., & Kilroy-Glynn, P. (2012). Myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs: Does size matter? Journal of Veterinary Cardiology, 14(1), 19–29. doi:10.1016/j.jvc.2012.01.006
  5. Borgarelli, M., & Häggström, J. (2010). Canine degenerative myxomatous mitral valve disease: Natural history, clinical presentation and therapy. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 40, 651–663.
  6. Li, Q., Heaney, A., Langenfeld-McCoy, N., Boler, B. V., & Laflamme, D. P. (2019). Dietary intervention reduces left atrial enlargement in dogs with early preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease: A blinded randomized controlled study in 36 dogs. BMC Veterinary Research, 15(1), 425. doi: 10.1186/s12917-019-2169-1
  7. Li, Q., Laflamme, D. P., & Bauer, J. E. (2020). Serum untargeted metabolomic changes in response to diet intervention in dogs with preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease. PloS One, 15(6), e0234404. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234404
  8. Li, Q., Larouche-Lebel, E., Loughran, K. A., Huh, T. P., Suchodolski, J. S., & Oyama, M. A. (2021). Metabolomics profiling analysis reveals deranged energy metabolism and amino acid metabolic reprogramming in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease. Journal of the American Heart Association, 10(9), e018923. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.120.018923.