Heart problems can affect Oodles of all ages, but conditions such as heart murmurs and mitral valve disease become increasingly common as our dogs grow older.

In this episode of Pawsitively Spoilt, I speak with cardiology expert Dr Brad Gavighan about protecting your Oodle’s heart health and recognising the signs that something may be wrong.

They discuss:

• What a heart murmur actually means
• Why mitral valve disease is common in smaller dogs
• Early warning signs owners should never ignore
• Coughing, breathing changes and reduced energy
• How heart conditions are diagnosed and monitored
• Available treatments and medications
• Simple ways to check your dog’s resting breathing rate at home
• How regular veterinary checks can help your Oodle live a longer, happier life

Whether you have a Cavoodle, Spoodle, Moodle, Groodle or another much-loved Oodle, this episode will help you better understand their heart health and know when it’s time to speak with your vet.

About Dr Brad Gavaghan

Dr Brad Gavaghan studied veterinary science at the University of Queensland and completed a cardiology residency program at the University of California and an externship at the paediatric cardiology unit at the UC Sacramento Med School. At UC Davis he was awarded the Myrtle Oliver Award for Research into Doppler Tissue Imaging in cardiomyopathic cats.

He returned to Australia and was accepted in 2000 via examination as a Fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in Cardiology – all species.

He is a co-director of Veterinary Cardiologists Australia (VCA) in Brisbane, in partnership with Associate Professor Dr Fiona Meyers. VCA has a staff of 7 cardiology clinicians, making VCA one of the world’s largest cardiology-only referral hospitals. Dr Gavaghan’s research and clinical interests include the quantification of diastolic dysfunction, interventional cardiology and the recent introduction of the Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (M-TEER) procedure to Australia and the first patent ductus arteriosus occlusion utilizing a novel microplug device.

Find him and his team here

https://veterinarycardiologistsaustralia.com.au/