Enlarged Heart in Dog

A dog with enlarged heart may seem perfectlyhealthy when at rest around the house, but it cannot endure continuedexertion. The condition seems to develop in young dogs that arc over-worked. If the strain is too great for the heart muscle, it stretches andstays stretched. Its elasticity is lost. Naturally if it occupies a largerspace in the chest, it can be heard with the ear over this large area.There is a very noticeable contrast between the sound of a normalheart and that of ass enlarged one. Enlarged heart conditions may befound in sled dogs brokers in too early and used for heavy loads, in field-trial coon and fox hounds, and even in setters and pointers. Since theheart cannot be reduced to normal, it will never become strong enoughto allow the dog to indulge in what would have been its normal activi-ties.