Is my dog's high VHS score from anxiety? Is it dangerous?

Question

My pet had a seizure like thing yesterday. Today we had taken her to the vet. He did a heart x-ray. He said the VHS is 12.6. My pet was very nervous and scared when we were handling her during the X-ray. She was breathing very loudly and in speed because we were holding her legs and face. Is the high rate in VHS because of that? What is the estimated VHS for Labrador retrievers. Is it dangerous? Is the high rate in VHS because of her being nervous? I'm extremely worried and scared. Please help. Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | 3 years and 5 months old | 52 lbs

Anna M., DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. VHS or Vertebral Heart Score is a measure of the size of the heart, and would not be related to the dog's respiratory rate or level of anxiety. Normal VHS usually ranges from 8.5-10.5, so Angel's VHS is a bit high. There are a number of things that could cause a heart to become larger than normal, so to have more information about what might be causing the increased size of Angel's heart, an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) should be performed. Your primary vet should be able to help guide you to a specialty vet clinic that would be able to perform an echo. Hope this helps, and good luck to you and Angel.

Is my dog's high VHS score from anxiety? Is it dangerous?

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