mitral valve regurgitation ?

[gentle_giant]

Does anyone know anything about this or had a horse with this problem?

Thank you!

 

[ann-jen]

The mitral valve is one of the valves inside the heart. They divide the atrium from the ventricle. Blood flows through the normal heart from the atrium to the ventricle through the mitral valve on every contraction. Mitral valve regurgitation implies blood is flowing the wrong direction when the heart contracts. This would usually cause a heart murmur. A heart murmur is basically an abnormal sound picked up when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. A normal heart makes a sound like lubdup, lubdup, lubdup...... as it beats but when a murmur is present these sounds are less distinct and can even just become a general whooshing sound. How significant the murmur was would depend on how severe it was and the clinical signs. A mild murmur in a horse used for gentle hacking may have no significance but a moderate to severe murmur would have major significance for a competition animal.
I hope this is of some help.

 

[Fairynuff]

all that I know (if I remember correctly) is that the blood coming back from the lungs (oxygenised) enters the left atrium then passes through the mitral valve to the left ventricle and then into the aorta which is the main artery of the body. I dont know what effect it would have on the horse but it seems logical to me that he may have a lack of oxygen for hard work. I May BE Wrong, so dont quote me on it

Mairi.

 

[gentle_giant]

Thanks guys ,yes Ive read up a bit today Mairi and that seems to be the gist.

I was just wondering if anyone knew of a horse with the condition and how progressive and degenerative it was.