Notably, the second leading cause of death in Irish Wolfhounds is Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), Atrial Fibrillation, and Ventricular Premature Complexes or Contractions (VPC)
The Irish Wolfhound breed has a predisposition for several life-threatening health concerns, including heart disease. Typical are adult-onset or developmental cardiac diseases, which evolve later in life. Most heart disease in Irish Wolfhounds is often treatable if detected early.
Diagnosing cardiac disease in Irish Wolfhounds is critical and is not within the confines of the general veterinarian practitioner unless they have received advanced training in the subspecialty of congenital heart disease.
Rather, diagnosis of cardiac disease requires both advanced training and equipment. All Annual Advanced Cardiac Screening/Evaluations require the hound to be examined and classified by a Veterinary Cardiologist, defined as a licensed veterinarian with diplomate status in either the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) cardiology sub-specialty, or the European College of Veterinary Medicine (ECVIM) cardiology sub-specialty. These practitioners have:
Veterinary School graduation
3-5 years of cardiac-specific training
2 years of extensive cardiac exams
ACVIM credentials signify doctors are Diplomates of ACVIM, within the College of Cardiology (www.acvim.org)
Required to maintain ACVIM credentials with ongoing continuing education
And lastly, typically, these doctors routinely contribute to veterinary research. Read more about the specific and required testing below.
Atrial Fibrillation
The Irish Wolfhound breed has a high prevalence of Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common arrhythmia in dogs. Atrial fibrillation describes very rapid contractions or twitching of the heart muscle, specifically in the atria, the two upper cavities of the heart. The ventricles will then contract more rapidly than normal, but the rhythm may be either regular or irregular, which may result in clinical signs such as fainting, exercise intolerance, and congestive heart failure. Most of the time, atrial fibrillation in the dog occurs secondary to heart disease. But, in Irish Wolfhounds, atrial fibrillation can occur as a primary heart problem.
The above article link was published by the Irish Wolfhound Foundation (iwfoundation.org) in December 2019, in which the study’s goal was to determine if genetics contributes to AF in Irish Wolfhounds by looking at the family history of dogs with and without AF from 2000 to 2019. This study determined that in Irish Wolfhounds, AF has a high heritability. What this means is that in the Irish Wolfhound breed, a hound with AF needs to have a parent with AF as well. All the more important that when you are considering purchasing a puppy, you ask questions about the heart health of the parents and related hounds. If one of the parents has AF, it is more than likely that the puppy will too at some point in their lives — the later the better.
This same article goes on to report that Atrial Fibrillation has been associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and that AF and DCM can be due to genetically distinct causes or caused by the same mutation. In Irish Wolfhounds, AF can occur simultaneously, precede the diagnosis of DCM, or occur in isolation.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
DCM is the second leading cause of heart disease in all dogs and is a devastating disease. DCM is a failure of the heart muscles to pump blood effectively. The heart contractions are weak, and blood is not pumped through the body efficiently. In short, the best technical explanation is from Cornell University, which explains:
Dilation of the ventricles with ventricular wall thinning occurs. In many cases, there is dilation of all four chambers of the heart. The ability of the heart to serve as a pump is diminished, which results in clinical signs that occur secondary to either decreased delivery of oxygenated blood to the body (lethargy, weakness, weight loss, collapse), or to congestion of blood in the lungs (coughing, increased respiratory rate and/or effort, abdominal distention) or both.
Such cardiac dilation, the decreased oxygen supply, but increased oxygen demands are secondary to elevated heart rates with developing cardiac arrhythmias in either the atria (atrial fibrillation— supraventricular tachycardia) or in the ventricles (ventricular premature complexes —ventricular tachycardia). These arrhythmias can cause sudden death.
DCM symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing, excess panting, exercise intolerance, collapse, abdominal distension, lethargy, reluctance to lie down or inability to rest comfortably, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
DCM treatment options will depend on how far the disease has progressed. But, it DOES NOT HAVE to get to this point!
Patients presenting symptoms of congestive heart failure nearly always have a worse prognosis than those who are not in congestive heart failure at diagnosis. If caught early, medical therapy may provide significant improvement in lifespan and quality of life in affected dogs. For this reason, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), in consultation with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM), has instituted the Advanced Cardiac Database (ACA), which has become the new standard for canine cardiac exams.
The rule to live by: Irish Wolfhounds Require Advanced Cardiac Screenings/Evaluations Beginning at Two Years of Age and Every Year Forward
As previously stated above, these screenings are performed by BOARD CERTIFIED Veterinary Cardiologists. Boarded veterinary cardiologists with Diplomate status in either the ACVIM (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine/Cardiology subspecialty) or the ECVIM (European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine/Cardiology).
Advanced heart evaluations/screenings are NON-INVASIVE and MUST include the following:
1—EKG, ECG, or Electrocardiogram, which is a paper or digital recording of the electrical signals in the heart. It is used to determine heart rate, heart rhythm, and other information regarding the heart's condition. It shows electrical currents of the heart and will reveal, but not always, arrhythmias or abnormal rhythms.
2—An Echocardiogram (or “echo”) is painless and non-invasive ultrasonic imaging that allows the cardiologist to visualize the physical condition and structure of the heart, and assess its overall health. An echo can show leakage of blood through the valves, the size of the heart, abnormal communications between the left and the right sides of the heart, and heart muscle contractility. DCM, as well as Premature Ventricular Contractions, is diagnosed by Echocardiography. During an Echo the heart is evaluated in real-time, live action. This cannot be done by any other procedure. During the procedure, the Diplomate takes measurements which, in turn, they cross-reference with standard measurements for the breed to determine if they perceive a thinning of the walls, enlargement of the ventricles. If so, then the Wolfhound may be in the early stages of DCM. Another important factor is that the Cardiologist acquires and establishes a baseline for the IW so that in the preceding years, they will cross-reference the measurements of the wolfhound’s heart and compare them to the newest results. In doing so, they can determine if the heart has dilated, or not from the prior year.
3—If the dog fails to pass the Echocardiogram or if any ventricular arrhythmias, isolated or not, cardiac murmurs, atrial fibrillation, or abnormal heart rhythms are detected at any age, then further advanced classification is necessary. A 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring (Holter monitoring) system administered by a Veterinary Cardiologist diplomate needs to be performed. A Holter monitor is a portable device used to continuously monitor the electrical activity of the heart. Its extended recording period is useful for observing occasional or intermittent cardiac arrhythmias that may be difficult to identify during a 20-minute Echocardiogram assessment. Undiagnosed or unknown malignant VPCs can result in fainting, collapse (syncope), or worse, sudden cardiac arrest.
Notably, Boxers and Doberman breeds are required to submit Holter Event Monitor tests (24-hour ambulatory EKG) in addition to the above screenings as part of the OFA Advanced Cardiac Database for Breeders. If this “gold standard” for Boxers and Dobermans includes Holter Monitor results, then I argue that it most certainly should be the gold standard for Irish Wolfhounds as well.
Common Myths About Canine Heart Disease
Myth #1: An EKG will reveal all arrhythmias or abnormal rhythms.
Truth: AN EKG does not reveal aberrations nor does it clear the hound of DCM, abnormalities of the pericardium, possible tumors, blood clots, etc. Only an Echocardiogram can do this. All cardiologists experts view ANNUAL Echocardiograms as a critical component in order to even consider diagnosing dogs as normal.
Myth #2: My local veterinarian listened to my Wolfhound’s heart with a stethoscope, and it sounded fine.
Truth: Cardiac auscultation is not sufficient for diagnosing cardiac disease. All cardiologists view Echocardiograms as a critical component in order to even consider diagnosing dogs as normal.
Myth #3: My local Veterinarian is qualified to diagnose my Wolfhound’s heart health.
Truth: Diagnosing cardiac disease in Irish Wolfhounds is not within the confines of the general veterinarian practitioner unless they have received advanced training in the subspecialty of congenital heart disease. This would include ACVIM (American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine/Cardiology subspecialty) or the ECVIM (European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine/Cardiology). Further, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and its Advanced Cardiac Database (ACA) have become the standard for canine cardiac exams for Breeder clearances. OFA will not consider results from general practitioners or other specialists to submit examination findings, as they are not qualified to do so.
Myth#4: My Wolfhound had his heart checked once already, and it was fine; I do not need to do it again, as he seems fine.
Truth: Cardiac diseases can develop at any time in the dog’s life. Actually, a minimum 30% of all IW’s will develop Atrial Fibrillation before the age of 6 years. Adult-onset or developmental cardiac diseases develop later in life. OFA adult-onset clearances are valid for one year from the date of the exam. In order for an adult-onset clearance to remain current, exams must be repeated periodically. Congenital heart disease can affect the Irish Wolfhound breed from early, mid, to late onset ages. Many owners do not notice subtle symptoms until the disease is more advanced, diminishing the prognosis, as treatment options will depend on how far the disease has progressed. Many unsuspecting IW owners have hounds who already have or will develop malignant ventricular arrhythmias, which can be diagnosed by comprehensive annual heart health exams and controlled early on with life-saving and life-prolonging drugs.
Cardiac Medical Expenses
Straightforward: if you desire this breed, then you must be prepared for the expenses that come with them, and you’ll need a fat wallet. Visit my Expenses page for other costs, as most novice owners do not realize that annual echocardiograms are paramount in the care and maintenance of your Irish Wolfhound.
For this reason, any new puppy owner MUST purchase and maintain in good standing a pet health insurance policy that provides coverage for Accident, Illness, Hereditary, and Wellness coverage. Exam coverage is an option. I recommend PetPlan Health Insurance or AKC Pet Health Insurance. A decent policy will cost about $250.00 per month and upward.
Why? Yearly cardiac evaluations can cost, depending on your region, $850-$1,000 or more for each Wolfhound. If your Irish Wolfhound is diagnosed with cardiac disease, pharmaceutical expenses for their heart health management, just as in humans, can be very costly as drugs regularly increase in price. Parenthetically, the drugs used for treating heart conditions are the same ones used for humans. See my Expenses page. Again, approximately 1 in 4 IWs will develop cardiac disease before the age of 6.
I implore all Irish Wolfhound owners to please read my DogMusings Blog Post title, "Irish Wolfhound Heart Health," for a brief but important explanation on necessary, annual, full-scale heart evaluations. Afterwards, please read the "Holter ECG Ambulatory Monitor" article for more details.