Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs of heart problems in dogs and cats with myocardial necrosis
By Kidd, L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2000·School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical findings and coronary artery disease in dogs and cats with acute and subacute myocardial necrosis: 28 cases.
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs and cats were found to have heart muscle damage (myocardial necrosis) after they showed signs of breathing problems (dyspnea). In many cases, these pets had little to no obvious lung issues, but they still experienced fluid buildup in their lungs. Blood tests showed high levels of certain enzymes, indicating heart stress or damage. The study highlighted that heart issues could be linked to blood clots in the coronary arteries. Unfortunately, the outcomes for these pets varied, and specific treatments were not detailed.
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Abstract
Records of final diagnoses based on necropsies performed on dogs and cats over a 4.5-year period at a university teaching hospital were examined for the diagnosis of acute or subacute myocardial necrosis. Clinical findings signaling the occurrence of myocardial necrosis were often not specific, due to simultaneously occurring disease processes. However, of 28 animals identified, dyspnea occurred frequently (17/28; 61%) and in some cases in the presence of minimal pulmonary pathology (2/3; 66%) or otherwise unexplained pulmonary edema (4/4; 100%). Elevations in serum aspartate aminotransferase (10/10; 100%) and creatine kinase (5/9; 55%) were also frequent. Disease processes associated with thrombus formation were present for each case in which a coronary artery thrombus occurred (5/28; 18%).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10825090/