Myocardial injury in dogs: a retrospective analysis on etiological, echocardiographic, electrocardiographic, therapeutic, and outcome findings in 102 cases.

Introduction: In dogs, myocardial injury (MI) is a poorly characterized clinical entity; therefore, this study aimed to provide a detailed description of dogs affected by this condition.

Animals, Materials, And Methods: Dogs diagnosed with MI according to the concentration of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were retrospectively searched. Signalment, diagnostic, therapeutic, and outcome data were retrieved.

Efficacy and safety of antiarrhythmic therapy in dogs with naturally acquired tachyarrhythmias treated with amiodarone or sotalol: a retrospective analysis of 64 cases.

Introduction/objective: Studies on the use of amiodarone or sotalol are limited in dogs. Therefore, this study aimed to provide data on the efficacy and safety of these drugs in dogs with ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) and/or supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SvT).

Animals, Materials, And Methods: Dogs with VT and/or SvT treated with amiodarone or sotalol as a first-line therapy were retrospectively evaluated.

Transient myocardial thickening: a retrospective analysis on etiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and outcome findings in 27 cats.

Introduction/objective: Transient myocardial thickening (TMT) in cats is a poorly characterized clinical entity. Therefore, this study aimed to provide descriptions of additional cats diagnosed with this clinical phenomenon.

Animals, Materials, And Methods: For this multicenter observational retrospective study, cats diagnosed with TMT were searched in three medical databases.

Efficacy and tolerability of the American Heartworm Society therapeutic protocol in dogs affected by heartworm disease without caval syndrome.

Objectives: The American Heartworm Society medical protocol represents the current standard of therapy for canine heartworm disease without caval syndrome. However, data on the tolerability of this protocol are limited. This study aimed to describe efficacy and prevalence of possible treatment-related side effects in dogs with heartworm disease treated using the American Heartworm Society protocol.

Echocardiographic values in healthy Pugs: Effect of body weight, age, and sex.

Background: Transthoracic echocardiography represents the main noninvasive technique for evaluating cardiac morphology and function in dogs. In dogs with particular somatotypes, such as brachymorphic dogs, breed-specific echocardiographic values are needed for a proper echocardiographic interpretation. Nowadays, the Pug represents one of the most popular brachymorphic canine breeds worldwide.

Electrocardiographic findings in healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Pugs, and English Bulldogs.

Objective: To describe the ECG findings in 3 different canine brachycephalic breeds: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the Pug, and the English Bulldog (EB).

Animals: 135 healthy dogs (50 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, 50 Pugs, and 35 EBs).

Procedures: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify healthy dogs ≥ 1 year old that had undergone an ECG.

Prevalence and prognostic role of L wave and selected clinical and echocardiographic variables in dogs with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Information regarding the frequency of L waves and their prognostic relevance in dogs with secondary atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited.

Hypothesis/objectives: To determine whether L waves occur and ascertain their prognostic role, as well as the role of other clinical and echocardiographic variables in dogs with AF.

Animals: Fifty-five dogs with AF associated with myxomatous mitral valve disease or dilated cardiomyopathy.

Radiographic features of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema in cats with left-sided cardiac disease: 71 cases.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to describe the radiographic features of cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (CPE) in a large group of cats with left-sided cardiac disease, and to determine the association between the radiographic features of CPE and the underlying cardiac disease.

Methods: Thoracic radiographs of cats with CPE and echocardiographic evidence of left-sided cardiac disease and left atrial enlargement (LAE) were reviewed, and cardiac silhouette, pulmonary vessels and pulmonary parenchyma evaluation were performed. Interstitial and/or alveolar patterns were classified according to their distribution (ie, diffuse, multifocal or focal) and location (ie, craniodorsal, cranioventral, caudodorsal, caudoventral and perihilar).

Transient myocardial thickening associated with acute myocardial injury and congestive heart failure in two -positive cats.

Case Series Summary: In this report, we provide detailed clinical, laboratory, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic descriptions of two -positive cats diagnosed with transient myocardial thickening (TMT) and acute myocardial injury (MI). In both cases, aetiological diagnosis was based on the antibody screening test (all cats had IgM titres ⩾1:64) and MI was demonstrated by a concomitant severe increase of the serum concentration of cardiac troponin I (5.1-23.

Suspected sequential left atrial ruptures in a dog with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

An 11-year-old mixed breed dog was presented with exercise intolerance and syncope. At admission, transthoracic echocardiography revealed myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) associated with severe left atrial (LA) enlargement and moderate anechoic pericardial effusion with a hyperechoic density suggestive of a thrombus. Rupture of the LA free wall secondary to MMVD was suspected, and medical therapy with furosemide and pimobendan was initiated.

Retrospective evaluation of the ST segment electrocardiographic features in 180 healthy dogs.

Objectives: Normal features of the ST segment are poorly characterised in dogs. This study aimed to describe ST segment characteristics in a population of healthy dogs.

Materials And Methods: Medical records were reviewed to identify healthy dogs that underwent an electrocardiogram.

The canine T wave: a retrospective analysis on qualitative and quantitative T wave variables obtained in 129 healthy dogs and proposed reference intervals.

Introduction/objective: The T wave is a poorly characterized electrocardiographic variable in small animals. Therefore, this study aimed to describe T wave features in a large population of healthy dogs.

Animals, Materials, And Methods: Medical records were reviewed to identify healthy dogs ≥one-year-olds that underwent an electrocardiogram.

Physiological shift of the ventricular mean electrical axis in healthy French Bulldogs: a retrospective electrocardiographic analysis of 80 healthy dogs.

Introduction/objectives: Whether a brachymorphic conformation may lead to electrocardiographic peculiarities diverging from generic reference intervals (RIs) cited in textbooks remains to be established. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating electrocardiographic variables in one of the most common brachymorphic breed, namely the French Bulldog (FB).

Animals, Materials And Methods: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify healthy FBs ≥1-year-old that underwent an electrocardiogram.

Ex vivo ultrasonographic and histological morphometry of small intestinal wall layers in horses.

Ultrasonographic morphometry of wall layers is commonly used in veterinary patients with suspected small intestinal disease, however published studies comparing this method with histopathology in horses are limited. This prospective, methods comparison study compared the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of small intestinal wall layers using ex vivo high-frequency ultrasound versus histopathology in a sample of 16 horses. Transverse section images of duodenum, distal jejunum, and ileum were acquired with a high-frequency linear transducer (7-15 MHz).

Reversible myocardial injury aggravated by complex arrhythmias in three Toxoplasma gondii-positive dogs.

Although Toxoplasma gondii represents an oft-cited cause of myocarditis in veterinary medicine, the existing literature on the pre-mortem demonstration of T. gondii-associated myocardial injury (MI) in dogs is scant. In this case series, we provide detailed clinical, laboratory, echocardiographic and electrocardiographic description of three T.

Myocardial Injury Complicated by Systolic Dysfunction in a COVID-19-Positive Dog.

A six-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel was referred with a two-month history of severe exercise intolerance and syncope. Clinical signs had developed during a local wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) two weeks after its family members had manifested symptoms of this viral disease and their positivity to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed. Cardiologic assessment documented myocardial injury complicated by systolic dysfunction.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is used to evaluate vascularity of the gastrointestinal wall in neoplastic and inflammatory diseases.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of CEUS for the evaluation of duodenal perfusion in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Animals: Forty-two dogs with IBD and 20 clinically healthy dogs.

Transient deep and giant negative T waves in dogs with myocardial injury.

Introduction: Although transient deep and giant negative T waves (NTWs) may develop during myocardial injury (MI) in humans, no data exist on this repolarization abnormality in canine MI. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the occurrence of transient deep/giant NTWs in dogs with MI.

Animals, Materials And Methods: Medical records were retrospectively searched to identify dogs with MI and transient deep/giant NTWs.

CT measures of adrenal gland length and caudal pole diameter are reproducible in large breed dogs: A pilot study.

Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly available to evaluate dogs with suspected adrenal disease, however, published studies describing the reproducibility of CT methods for quantifying adrenal gland (AG) measurements are lacking. This prospective, pilot, observer agreement study aimed to evaluate reproducibility and repeatability of two different methods of measurement of AGs on CT to establish a usable technique and define standard reference ranges. Multiplanar reformatted (MPR) CT images of both AGs of six large breed dogs were obtained with the MPR axis parallel to the spine and parallel to the long axis of the AG.

Unusual Presentation of Aortic Valve Infective Endocarditis in a Dog: Aorto-Cavitary Fistula, Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis, and Third-Degree Atrioventricular Block.

A 2-year-old Boxer with a history of subaortic stenosis and immunosuppressant therapy developed aortic valve infective endocarditis. On echocardiographic examination with simultaneous electrocardiographic tracing, multiple uncommon periannular complications of the aortic valve endocarditis were found, including aorto-cavitary fistula with diastolic left-to-right shunt, tricuspid valve endocarditis, and third-degree atrioventricular block. Necropsy confirmed the above echocardiographic findings.

Left atrial speckle tracking echocardiography in clinically healthy dogs: Variability and prediction intervals.

Left atrial (LA) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) provides indices of LA deformation such as strain and strain rate. These variables offer useful clinical information in human and canine patients with cardiac disease. At present, reference ranges for LA STE variables in dogs are scarcely established and, due to variability among centers, they cannot be accepted worldwide.