Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is increased in dogs with acute congestive heart failure secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease compared to both dogs with heart murmurs and healthy controls.

Objective: To retrospectively evaluate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as a biomarker for severity and short-term outcomes of congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs.

Animals: 47 dogs with CHF secondary to MMVD, 47 dogs with presumptive preclinical MMVD, and 47 control dogs.

Methods: Medical record data (signalment, physical examination findings, medical treatments instituted, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine MMVD stage, length of hospitalization, outcome, and hospital re-presentation due to CHF) from March 2012 through March 2022 for each dog were collected.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease in Miniature Schnauzers and Yorkshire Terriers: 134 cases (2007-2016).

Objective: To characterize features of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in Miniature Schnauzers and Yorkshire Terriers.

Animals: 69 Miniature Schnauzers and 65 Yorkshire Terriers, each with MMVD.

Procedures: Medical record data for each dog were collected; the study period was January 2007 through December 2016.

Visual representations of canine cardiac arrhythmias with Lorenz (Poincaré) plots.

Objective: To characterize the patterns associated with Lorenz plots (LPs) or Poincaré plots derived from the Holter recordings of dogs with various cardiac rhythms.

Animals: 77 dogs with 24-hour Holter recordings.

Procedures: A 1-hour period from the Holter recordings from each of 20 dogs without arrhythmias and from each of 57 dogs with arrhythmias (10 each with supraventricular premature complexes, complex supraventricular ectopy, ventricular premature complexes, complex ventricular ectopy, and atrial fibrillation, and 7 with high-grade second-degree atrioventricular block) were used to generate the LPs.