Heartworm disease in domestic dogs in Estonia: indication of local circulation of the zoonotic parasite Dirofilaria immitis farther north than previously reported.

Background: The mosquito-borne zoonotic parasite Dirofilaria immitis continues to spread northwards in Europe. This parasite can cause potentially life-threatening heartworm disease in dogs and pulmonary dirofilariasis in humans and is, therefore, a major health concern in both the veterinary medicine and human medical fields. This is the first report of D.

Usefulness of cardiac biomarker screening to detect dilated cardiomyopathy in Dobermanns.

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of two cardiac biomarker assays (N-terminal pro-BNP , Troponin I) in detecting dilated cardiomyopathy in Dobermanns.

Materials And Methods: Dobermanns undergoing cardiac biomarker testing were screened by echocardiography and Holter monitoring, then assigned to a group: normal, equivocal, arrhythmia form of dilated cardiomyopathy, echocardiographic form of dilated cardiomyopathy or both. Some were reassessed to identify final status.

Association of diet with left ventricular wall thickness, troponin I and IGF-1 in cats with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cats with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (sHCM) have elevated serum insulin and serum amyloid A concentrations correlating with the degree of cardiac hypertrophy. Diet might affect these and other cardiac variables.

Objective: Evaluate the effect of a complete, balanced diet with restricted starch and supplemented with eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid (EPA + DHA) on echocardiographic variables and cardiac biomarkers in cats with sHCM.

Associations among echocardiography, cardiac biomarkers, insulin metabolism, morphology, and inflammation in cats with asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and inflammation possibly are involved in cats with asymptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (aHCM).

Objectives: To evaluate echocardiography, morphology, cardiac and inflammatory markers, insulin and IGF-1 in cats with aHCM.

Animals: Fifty-one client-owned cats with aHCM.

Phenotypic description of cardiac findings in a population of Dogue de Bordeaux with an emphasis on atrial fibrillation.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical phenotype of Dogue de Bordeaux (DdB) referred for cardiac investigation, with particular reference to the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and associated features. Review of canine medical records of two United Kingdom veterinary referral hospitals identified 64 DdB with available echocardiographic and electrocardiographic (ECG)/Holter data. Atrial fibrillation was documented in 25 (39%) dogs and supraventricular tachycardia was recorded in five (7.