Aortic stenosis is best understood as a narrowing of your dog’s aortic valve. The aortic valve, located within your dog’s heart, is a primary passageway through which blood is carried through into the rest of your dog’s body. Most commonly, the narrowing occurs right below your dog’s aortic valve sub-aortic stenosis). Sometimes, however the narrowing is either right above the aortic valve or, most infrequently, of the aortic valve itself. The narrowing is actually caused by a ring of tissue which takes up some of the space through which the blood should flow.

Aortic Stenosis is a congenital condition. It is most frequently seen in larger dogs such as Boxers, Golden Retrievers, Mastiffs and Newfoundlands.

Your dog’s symptoms will vary depending on the severity of the aortic stenosis. If your dog has a mild aortic stenosis, there may be no observable symptoms. A dog with a more severe or advanced aortic stenosis can have fainting spells, congestive heart failure (coughing, difficulty breathing, weakness) and may die.

Aortic stenosis is a congenital condition.

To make a definitive diagnosis, your vet will perform an echocardiograph on your dog.