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 largest artery is the aorta, the main high-pressure pipeline connected to the heart's left ventricle. The aorta branches into a network of smaller arteries that extend throughout the body. The arteries' smaller branches are called arterioles and capillaries.The pulmonary arteries carry oxygen-poor blood from the heart to the lungs under low pressure, making these arteries unique. Coronary artery disease makes a heart attack more likely. 2  Carotid artery disease: Atherosclerosis with narrowing of one or both of the carotid arteries in the neck. 3  Disease of the carotid arteries makes stroke more likely.