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 heart and blood vessels (arteries, capillaries, and veins) are called the cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system carries blood throughout the body. The heart pumps blood through blood vessels called arteries and then through smaller blood vessels called capillaries to each organ and tissue in the body.