Canine Heart Anatomy Basics and Beyond

The canine heart is a remarkable organ, responsible for pumping life-giving blood throughout a dog's body. It's a four-chambered heart, consisting of the right and left atria, and the right and left ventricles.

The right atrium receives oxygen-depleted blood from the body, while the left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs. This separation is crucial for efficient blood circulation.

In a normal heartbeat, the right atrium contracts and pumps blood into the right ventricle, which then pumps it to the lungs for oxygenation. This process is repeated on the left side of the heart, with the left ventricle pumping oxygen-rich blood to the body.

Dogs have a single heart located in their chest, which is oval to cone-shaped and consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles.

The atria are the smaller chambers that receive blood from the dog's body or lungs, while the two larger ventricles pump oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to the body and lungs respectively.

The heart is attached to a range of blood vessels, such as arteries and veins, which branch throughout the body into tiny vessels known as capillaries.

The heart is located in the thoracic cavity in between the lungs, with 60% of it lying to the left of the median plane.

The heart is located in the chest cavity, specifically between the lungs, and is slightly offset to the left side.

A dog's heart is roughly 0.75% of their body weight.

The heart is cone-shaped, with a broad base at the top where the large blood vessels enter and exit.

The tip of the heart, called the apex, points downwards and lies close to the sternum.

The heart has a right and left lateral surface, which meet cranially at the right ventricular border and caudally at the left ventricular border.

Grooves on the surface of the heart represent the divisions of its internal structure.

The right surface of the heart is marked by the subsinusoidal groove, which extends from the coronary groove to the apex of the heart.

The paraconal groove runs over the left surface of the heart from the coronary groove to the distal end of the cranial margin.

Dogs have a single heart located in their chest, which is oval to cone shaped, tapering towards the apex.

Their heart consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles.

The two atria are the smaller chambers that receive blood from the dog's body or lungs.

The two larger ventricles pump the oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to the body and lungs respectively.

A dog's heart is attached to a range of blood vessels, such as arteries and veins, that form part of the cardiovascular system.

These blood vessels branch throughout the body into tiny vessels known as capillaries.

The right ventricle is a crucial part of the canine heart, forming most of the anterior surface and being crescent-shaped in cross-section.

It's connected to the tricuspid valve, which has cusps attached to tendon-like cords called chordae tendinae. These cords are then connected to papillary muscles within the ventricular wall.

The right ventricle is separated from the left ventricle by a partition called the interventricular septum.

A muscular band called the trabecula septomarginalis traverses the lumen of the right ventricle.

Heart sounds are produced by the rapid acceleration and deceleration of blood and the resulting vibrations in the heart due to the circulation of blood.

You can hear heart sounds using a stethoscope. In dogs, 2 heart sounds can normally be distinguished.

Heart murmurs are vibrations that can be heard coming from the heart or major blood vessels and generally are the result of turbulent blood flow or vibrations of heart structures.

Not every murmur indicates a heart disorder; for example, innocent murmurs can be detected in healthy puppies less than 6 months of age.

The Canine Heart Model is a great tool for understanding the inner workings of a dog's heart. It's a life-size model that can be dissected into two parts to show the ventricles, valves, and atriums.

This model is based on the heart size of an average-sized dog, so it's a great representation of what a dog's heart looks like. The manufacturer, Erler Zimmer, includes a stand with the model, making it easy to display and study.

The Canine Heart Model weighs 1 kg, making it a sturdy and durable tool for learning. The manufacturer also provides a 3-year warranty, giving you peace of mind when using the model.