USEFUL LINKS

Auscultation of the heart and lungs

Auscultation of the heart is used to detect abnormalities such as:

Cardiac arrhythmias—irregular heartbeat, tachycardia, or bradycardia
Heart murmurs—consider intensity
Extra heart sounds—gallops, clicks

Areas of auscultation in the heart should include the mitral, pulmonic, and aortic valves on the left thoracic wall and the tricuspid valves on the right thorax. A heart murmur often is the first detectable sign of heart disease. If a heart murmur is detected, thoracic radiographs (including calculation of a Vertebral Heart Score) should be done to determine if the dog’s heart is enlarged.

Auscultation of the lungs is used to detect the presence of normal bronchovesicular sounds or abnormal lung sounds, such as crackles and wheezes.

Important safety information

VETMEDIN should not be given in case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis, or any other clinical condition where an augmentation of cardiac output is inappropriate for functional or anatomical reasons. The safety of VETMEDIN has not been established in dogs with asymptomatic heart disease or in heart failure caused by etiologies other than atrioventricularvalvular insufficiency or dilated cardiomyopathy. The safe use of VETMEDIN has not been evaluated in dogs younger than 6 months of age, dogs with congenital heart defects, dogs with diabetes mellitus or other serious metabolic diseases, dogs used for breeding, or pregnant or lactating bitches. Use only in dogs with clinical evidence of heart failure. The most common side effects reported in field studies were poor appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, dyspnea, azotemia, weakness, and ataxia. If side effects should occur, pet owners should contact their veterinarian. Please refer to the Full Prescribing Information here.