Adult Heart Health Screening for Belgian Sheepdogs

Clinical context

Why this stage is different for Belgian Sheepdogs

Adult Belgian Sheepdogs should have heart auscultation at every physical. Some lines in this breed need earlier echocardiography, Holter monitoring, or blood pressure checks. Do not wait for collapse. Store every murmur grade, echo PDF, and medication start date in chronological order - that is the difference between a useful cardiology referral and a shoebox of paper. Pair cardiac notes with weight: extra pounds are afterload the heart did not ask for.

Interactive watch list

Cardiac symptom checklist

• Fainting, collapse, or sudden weaknessurgent
• Night cough, faster breathing at rest, or abdominal swellurgent
• Exercise intolerance that is new for this dogwatch
• Pale, blue, or brick-red gums with efforturgent
• Cardiac meds given at inconsistent timeswatch

Dated protocol

Adult Belgian Sheepdog screening timeline

1. Annual

   Auscultation + history

   Resting respiratory rate at home (count while asleep) is free surveillance.

2. If murmur

   Echo decision

   Grade, timing, and breed risk decide urgency - not “we’ll watch it.”

3. Diagnosed

   Staging

   Archive ACVIM stage, radiographs, blood pressure, and kidney values before meds start.

4. q 3-12 mo

   Recheck

   Cardiology cadence depends on disease. Put the next echo in the same reminder system as vaccines.

Digital vault

Cardiac vault protocol

1. Resting respiratory rate log (goal typically <30/min asleep unless your cardiologist sets another number).
2. Every ECG, Holter, and echo as PDF - not a portal screenshot that expires.
3. Medication list with mg and time, including missed doses.
4. Cross-link epilepsy and gastric dilatation so orthopedic limping is not misread as “just getting old.”
5. Anesthesia history - last echo date must travel with the dog to dental procedures.

Bowl notes

Heart-aware feeding