Utility of radiographic measurements to predict echocardiographic left heart enlargement in dogs with preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease.

Background: Evaluation of left heart size helps determine disease severity in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).

Hypothesis/objectives: Determine the ability of radiographic vertebral heart size (VHS) and vertebral left atrial size (VLAS) to predict LHE in dogs with preclinical MMVD.

Animals: Seventy client-owned dogs with MMVD and no historical or present clinical or radiographic evidence of congestive heart failure (CHF).