Clinico Therapeutic Studies On Dilated Cardiomyopathy In Dogs

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to identify the survival and prognostic findings newlinein dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy, to quantify the cardiac dysfunction in dilated newlinecardiomyopathy with M- mode and doppler echocardiographic examination and to study newlinethe efficacy of therapy adopted in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy. Among 262 dogs newlinepresented with clinical signs of cardiac disease, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was newlinediagnosed in 26dogs.The present study revealed high occurrence of DCM in Labrador newlineRetriever (76.92 per cent) followed by German Shepherd (11.54 per cent), Cocker newlineSpaniel (3.85 per cent), Doberman Pinscher (3.85 per cent) and Rottweiler (3.85 per newlinecent). Dogs in the age group of 4-8 years (61.54 per cent) had high occurrence of DCM newlinefollowed by above 8 years (34.61 per cent) and below 4 years (3.85 per cent). newlineOccurrence was more common in males (76.92 per cent) than females (23.08 per cent). newlineThe prominent clinical signs noticed in dogs with DCM were exercise intolerance, newlineinappetence, lethargy, cough, weight loss, abdominal distension, laboured breathing, newlinepedal edema and syncope. The physical examination findings in dogs with DCM newlineincluded tachycardia, dyspnoea, ascites, pale mucous membranes, systolic murmur, newlinecrackles and gallop rhythm. newlineHaematological studies in DCM dogs revealed decreased haemoglobin, packed newlinecell volume and total erythrocyte count, while leukogram showed significant newlineneutrophilic leukocytosis. Serum biochemical profile showed elevated levels of blood newlineurea nitrogen, serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), decreased levels of serum newlinepotassium and normal levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, serum creatinine and newlineserum sodium in dogs with DCM. Qualitative estimation of cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) newlinewas found to be negative in all the dogs with DCM. NT-proBNP levels showed newlinesignificant elevation in dogs with DCM. The prominent electrocardiographic findings newlinenoticed in dogs with DCM were low voltage QRS complexes, tall R wave, atrial newlinepremature complexes, ventricular premature complexes, sinus tachycardia, p