Dogs can suffer from a common heart condition called Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease (MMVD), which can lead to heart failure. Currently, this condition is managed using medication and monitoring symptoms. However, there are new treatments like open-heart mitral valve repair that can greatly improve outcomes. The challenge lies in accurately assessing the severity of the heart valve leakage (mitral regurgitation or MR) to determine the right time for these interventions. The usual method, two-dimensional echocardiography, has limitations.

This study aims to provide practical guidelines for evaluating MR in dogs by comparing different imaging methods. The researchers believe that 2D echocardiography will have reasonable agreement with a more advanced method called cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). By studying 60 dogs with MMVD, the investigators will compare 2D echocardiography with 3D echocardiography and CMR. The goal is to create guidelines that will help veterinarians better assess MR severity in dogs, ultimately aiding in deciding when surgical interventions are needed.