For families living with a dog diagnosed with heart disease, the hardest moments are often the quiet ones. A follow-up appointment. A new test. A conversation that ends with the words, “Not yet, but we need to watch this closely.”
Knowing when to act can be just as important as knowing how to treat it. That question is at the heart of ongoing research aimed at improving both care decisions and outcomes for dogs living with this disease.
Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), sometimes called “leaky valve,” is the most common heart disease dogs develop as they age. Any dog can be affected, and there is currently no way to reverse or stop it.
The mitral valve is on the left side of the heart and works like a one-way door, helping oxygen-rich blood flow forward to the rest of the body.
In MMVD, normal connective tissue components begin to build up inside the valve, causing it to thicken and become less flexible. Over time, the valve can no longer close tightly, and blood starts to leak backward with each heartbeat.
This forces the heart to work harder and can eventually lead to congestive heart failure, a serious, and sometimes life-threatening, outcome.
From Managing Symptoms to Treating the Disease
For many years, treatment options for MMVD focused on managing symptoms and slowing progression rather than addressing the damaged valve itself. Medications can reduce clinical signs and improve quality of life, but they do not correct the underlying structural problem with the damaged valve.
More recently, advanced procedures such as open-heart mitral valve repair have emerged as promising options for certain dogs. When successful, these surgeries can dramatically improve cardiac function and long-term outcomes.
As these options become more widely available, a new challenge has come into focus. Veterinarians must determine which dogs will benefit most from surgical intervention and when that intervention should occur.
Why Measuring Severity Matters
That challenge is the focus of CHF-funded research led by Dr. Ryan Fries, Associate Professor of Cardiology at the University of Illinois.
Accurately assessing the severity of mitral valve leakage is essential to guiding treatment decisions. Currently, veterinarians commonly rely on two-dimensional echocardiography, an ultrasound-based imaging technique that provides real-time views of the heart. While this approach is widely used and extremely valuable, it has limitations when evaluating complex valve geometry and blood flow patterns.
Dr. Fries’ research compares several imaging methods to determine which tools provide the clearest and most reliable assessment of disease severity of the canine mitral valve. These methods include:
- Two-dimensional echocardiography, the current clinical standard, uses ultrasound to create flat, two-dimensional images of the heart in motion.
- Three-dimensional echocardiography, an advanced form of ultrasound which produces a detailed three-dimensional image of the heart’s structures.
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac MRI), a highly advanced technique which uses magnetic fields and radiofrequency waves to generate high resolution images of heart structures and blood flow.
By comparing these techniques, the study aims to identify which approaches most accurately reflect the true extent of valve disease and can best support clinical decision-making.
Research With Real-World Impact
In a recent progress report to the AKC Canine Health Foundation, Dr. Fries shared that the study is on track and actively enrolling patients, with multiple dogs participating in the early phase of the research.
This is the type of work CHF is proud to support. Research that not only deepens scientific understanding, but also also paves the way for evidence-based advances in veterinary care that can truly improve dogs’ lives.
Improved imaging tools give veterinarians clearer insight into how MMVD is progressing in an individual dog. Clearer insight supports better decision-making. And better decisions can help ensure that advanced treatments are offered at the right time, to the dogs most likely to benefit.
Bringing It Back to the Heart
At its core, this research is about more than technology. It is about reducing uncertainty for veterinarians and families facing difficult decisions. It is about replacing watchful waiting with informed action. And it is about giving dogs with heart disease the best possible chance for a healthier future.
Through the Hearts to Heal initiative, the AKC Canine Health Foundation supports science that connects discovery to care. Research that deepens understanding, improves diagnosis, and helps turn new treatment possibilities into real-world outcomes.
To learn more about CHF, the heart health research it funds, or how you can support this work, visit akcchf.org/donate. Every contribution helps move science forward and brings healthier futures within reach for more dogs.
