Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using agitated saline ultrasound to find a dog's heart defect
By Arndt, Jason W & Oyama, Mark A·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2008·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Agitated saline contrast echocardiography to diagnose a congenital heart defect in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was evaluated for suspected heart problems, and the veterinarian used a special ultrasound technique called agitated saline contrast echocardiography to get a clearer picture of the heart's structure and function. This method involves injecting a saline solution that creates tiny bubbles, helping to highlight any issues in the heart. The test successfully identified a rare congenital heart defect, allowing the vet to determine the best treatment plan. The dog is now receiving appropriate care based on the diagnosis.
People also search for: dog heart problems diagnosis · congenital heart defect in dogs · echocardiography for dogs
Abstract
Examination of cardiac structure and function is greatly facilitated by echocardiography, which takes advantage of the natural ultrasonic contrast between myocardial tissue and the blood-filled chambers. In cases where further contrast is desired, peripheral injections of agitated saline, which contain highly reflective gas-filled microbubbles can reveal subtle morphologic lesions as well as characterizing the pattern and timing of blood flow through suspected cardiac shunts or lesions. Agitated saline contrast echocardiography is easily performed and well-tolerated and in this report, we demonstrate the utility of this method to diagnose a rare congenital defect in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19010756/