Acquired valvular disease is a common reason for a murmur in a horse. Nearly all of it is regurgitant rather than stenotic, and many horses live with it for years. The exam skill is to match a murmur to a valve by timing and location, and to know which findings change the outlook.
Key facts
Valvular disease at a glance- Species and system: horse; cardiovascular.
- Most affected valves: mitral, aortic and tricuspid; the mitral valve is most commonly involved (MSD).
- Aortic regurgitation: a diastolic murmur, most often in older horses, from calcification or degeneration of the valve (MSD).
- Presentation: frequently an incidental murmur. Signs usually appear only with heart failure.
- Infective endocarditis: usually aortic or mitral; fever plus a murmur is the clue.
- Zoonotic: no.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Putting it together in practice
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 3 self-test questions and 8 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.