With dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) the heart muscle becomes thinner than normal, is weakened, and results in poor pumping ability, valve leakage and arrhythmia. This loss of the heartâs ability to properly contract is a common acquired disease of the heart in dogs.
Collateral Vessel Closure. Collateral vessels are abnormal blood vessels that connect the aorta with the pulmonary arteries. The aorta is a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to arteries throughout the body. Pulmonary arteries are the vessels that transfer blood from the heart back to the lungs for oxygen.
Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the organs and tissues of the body. The arterial system is under high pressure as it receives blood from the pumping heart. Therefore, the walls of arteries are thick. They contain elastic fibers and muscle cells, which help propel the blood through them.Commonly known arteries of the human body include the aorta, the pulmonary artery, the femoral arteries, the carotid arteries and the coronary arteries.apillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect the arterial and venous sides of circulation. The walls of these vessels are only one-cell thick to allow for easy exchange of substances in the tissues.