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.
Damaged and hardened arteries can lead to: 1  Damaged organs. 2  Damaged arteries cannot deliver adequate blood flow to the body's organs. 3  Blood clots. 4  When arteries are narrowed by fatty deposits, you have a greater risk for developing blood clots. Heart failure is the term used for a heart that is not supplying sufficient blood flow to the rest of the body. 2  High blood pressure damages the entire complex circulatory system. 3  As mentioned above, HBP creates conditions for blocked arteries. 4  HBP adds to the workload of the heart.