Coming Soon

Just Labs – Simply the best magazine ever for those who live with and love Labrador retrievers!

Coming Soon

September/October 2010
VOLUME 10 • NUMBER 3

The Vet Clinic

How It Works: The Beat Goes On
by Dr. Ben Character, DVM

he role of a strong, tight, and productive heart cannot be understated. In this, the fourth segment of “How It Works,” we’ll look at the super muscle that keeps our dogs going.

An average dog’s heart will beat more than 500 million times in a lifetime (80 beats per minute over 12 years); the performance dog will increase that by roughly 25 percent due to an increase in heart rate during work, which can exceed 120 bpm. It should be noted that while the heart is an amazing organ, it would be rather useless all by itself. The heart is a central component of the cardiovascular system, which includes the respiratory and vascular systems.

Anatomy

A cursory look at the heart reveals a number of interesting details. The heart is fundamentally a large muscle (about the size of your fist), but it uses a unique process of calcium-dependent contraction unlike any other muscle in the body. Instead of simply relying on sodium for electrical impulse, it also uses calcium. This prolongs the electrical signal to make the contraction last longer and more rhythmic – both essential for a strong heart.