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.
The essential components of the human cardiovascular system are the heart, blood and blood vessels. It includes the pulmonary circulation, a loop through the lungs where blood is oxygenated; and the systemic circulation, a loop through the rest of the body to provide oxygenated blood. The systemic circulation can also be seen to function in two partsâa macrocirculation and a microcirculation.