A: The function of the cartilaginous rings of the trachea is to stabilize the trachea and keep it rigid while allowing the trachea to expand and lengthen when the person breathes. If the trachea was not supported in this way, it would simply collapse because of the pressure of the chest.
HCM remains the most common cardiovascular genetic disorder, occurring in at least 1 in 500 people in the general population. 7 HCM is a primary inherited disorder of the myocardium characterized by hypertrophy, usually of the left ventricle, in the absence of other loading conditions such as hypertension.
Myxomatous degenerative valve disease is the most common cardiac disease in dogs and accounts for ~75% of cardiovascular disease in this species; ~60% of affected dogs have only the mitral valve affected, 30% have lesions in both the tricuspid and mitral valves, and 10% have only tricuspid valve disease. In dogs, the disease is age- and breed-related, with older, small-breed dogs demonstrating a much higher incidence.