@petcardiology: 🫀 Chordae tendineae rupture in MMVD = mechanical failure of the mitral valve apparatus. The chordae are not passive strings. They are load-bearing, tension-stabilizing structures that maintain leaflet coaptation during systole. When a chord ruptures 💥 the leaflet becomes flail and mitral regurgitation jumps immediately. This is NOT slow progression. This is an acute structural breakdown. What happens next? 👇 🔴 Sudden increase in regurgitant volume 🔴 Acute left atrial volume overload 🔴 Rapid rise in left atrial pressure 🔴 Accelerated atrial remodeling 🔴 Pulmonary venous hypertension → risk of edema 🌫️ LA:Ao from 1.7 → 2.2 in just 2 weeks 😱 That’s hemodynamic impact. Large volume of regurgitation all of a sudden 💦. 💔 A ruptured chord turns compensated MMVD into an unstable heart. 🚨 START DIURETICS EARLY. Furosemide is not just symptomatic therapy. It: ✔️ Reduces preload ✔️ Lowers left atrial pressure ✔️ Decreases pulmonary capillary hydrostatic pressure ✔️ Limits further atrial stretch Early diuresis can mean the difference between stability and acute CHF. ⚖️ 👀 FOLLOW CLOSELY. These dogs can remodel fast. They can decompensate fast. 📊 Repeat echo. 📈 Track LA size. 🏠 Monitor resting respiratory rate. Chordal rupture is not just an echo finding. It’s a turning point in the disease course. 🫀⚡ #PetCardiology #vet #doctor #pets #mmvd
