Efficacy of adding ramipril (VAsotop) to the combination of furosemide (Lasix) and pimobendan (VEtmedin) in dogs with mitral valve degeneration: The VALVE trial.

Background: Triple therapy (TT) consisting of furosemide, pimobendan, and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) frequently is recommended for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) attributable to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). However, the effect of adding an ACEI to the combination of pimobendan and furosemide (dual therapy [DT]) so far has not been evaluated prospectively.

Hypothesis: Triple therapy will extend survival time compared to DT in dogs with CHF secondary to MMVD.

Color-coded longitudinal interventricular septal tissue velocity imaging, strain and strain rate in healthy Doberman Pinschers.

Objective: To determine reference values for septal longitudinal tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in Doberman Pinschers.

Background: TDI includes several new techniques, such as tissue velocity imaging (TVI), strain, and strain rate that might be used to detect early myocardial dysfunction. However, before these techniques can be used, breed specific reference ranges need to be established.

Comparison of longitudinal myocardial tissue velocity, strain, and strain rate measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking and by color tissue Doppler imaging in healthy dogs.

Objectives: Two-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-ST) is a new method to measure tissue velocity (TV), strain and strain rate (SR), but it is unclear if results are comparable to color tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). The objective was therefore to compare the two modalities 2D-ST and TDI.

Animals: 100 healthy dogs

Methods: TDI images were acquired from the interventricular septal wall (IVS) and the left ventricular free wall (LVFW) to measure longitudinal TV, strain, and SR, and grayscale images were collected for 2D-ST analysis.