ultra sound scan from the heart??

[yvonne]

just want your opinion , lately some young gordons , one elderly gordon and one english died suddenly , when they where running around the heart suddenly stopped beating.

do you think that it would be wise to make ultra sound echo''s from the heart for young dogs , or only for the one your breeding with , in case it could be inheritated?

[Susan Stone]

Hello Yvonne
maybe this blog would be better as a Forum discussion?
What a terrible thing to experience - especially in young dogs. Do you have any more information as to the cause? I know there are various kinds of heart disease and some breeds have specific tests that must be done. I am thinking of Cavaliers, Boxers, Great Danes, and also the swiss breed Appenzeller Senennhund. These specific heart problems are considered genetic.
I think vets routinely check the heart of puppies the first time they are presented.
I have heard some setters suffer from an 'enlarged heart' when they get older, similar to athletes...

[Laura Kolbach]

there was a case in irish setter also that i know about, running around, then just die :-(((
the vet told me some years ago that odin has a "sport heart", this is how we call it here, the one athletes have. thanks god, no problems yet.

[yvonne]

yes i will put it on the forum , unfortunately i have no info about the dogs that died , two where just 15 months , one younger , one 7 and one 3 years old