Heart disease with mitral valve regurgitation (a leaky heart valve) is the most common heart disease in dogs.  Some of these dogs remain perfectly healthy, but others develop problems such as heart failure and ultimately early death.  Previously, extensive evaluation of a dog's heart was not available in veterinary medicine.  Now, we can easily perform these exams in dogs to learn how to best treat their heart disease.  Our goal is to learn more about mitral valve disease in dogs so that we can provide better care and a longer period of improved quality of life for them and their owners.