What is Degenerative Valve Disease?
Degenerative valve disease (DVD), also called endocardiosis, valvular regurgitation, valvular insufficiency or chronic valve disease, refers to a noninfectious degeneration of the cardiac valves. In dogs and cats, the most commonly affected valve is the mitral valve (on the left side of the heart), followed by the tricuspid valve (on the right side of the heart). The pulmonic and aortic valves are rarely affected by this condition. For reasons we dont completely understand, the mitral or tricuspid valve leaflets can become abnormally thickened and develop a nodular appearance in some breeds (see below). These, and other changes to the valves, impede their ability to form a tight seal between the atrium and ventricle during systole (contraction of the heart muscle) they begin to leak. As a result, some of the blood in the ventricle now flows back into the atrium through the leaky valve (known as regurgitation) instead of moving forward from the ventricle into the aorta (on the left side
