Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart outflow blockages in Boxer dogs from 17 years of French
By Chetboul, Valérie et al.·Published in PloS one·2023·Unité, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital ventricular outflow tract obstructions in Boxer dogs: Results of a 17-year cardiovascular breed screening program in France (3126 dogs).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Boxer dogs in France underwent a 17-year screening program for congenital heart diseases, specifically aortic and pulmonic stenosis, which are common in this breed. During the program, veterinarians performed physical exams and echocardiograms to assess heart health. The results showed that the prevalence of these heart conditions decreased over time, indicating that the screening efforts were effective. Most dogs only needed one examination to determine their heart status, and a heart murmur was a key indicator of the conditions. Overall, the program helped improve heart health in Boxers.
People also search for: Boxer dog heart murmur · congenital heart disease in Boxers · Boxer aortic stenosis treatment
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Ventricular outflow tract obstructions including aortic (AS) and pulmonic stenosis (PS) are the most common canine congenital heart diseases, with Boxer dogs being predominantly affected. This has led to the French Boxer club adopting a mandatory national control program against AS and PS. The objective of this retrospective study was to analyze the results of 17 years of this cardiovascular breed screening program (2005-2021). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of untreated and non-anesthetized adult Boxer dogs screened between 2005 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. All dogs underwent physical examination and standard transthoracic echocardiography with concomitant ECG tracing. All examinations were reviewed by one single board-certified specialist in cardiology. RESULTS: Out of the 3126 dogs screened during the study period, 3001 dogs (female:male sex ratio = 2.2, median age [IQR] = 1.6 years [1.2-2.1]) were recruited for data analysis. A total of 218 operators were involved in the screening program. For most Boxer dogs (i.e., 93.8% for AS and 94.5% for PS), a single examination was required to obtain a definitive cardiac status, although most operators were non-specialist general practitioners. A left basilar systolic heart murmur was detected in all dogs with AS and PS, but also in 7.4% dogs free of heart diseases. A significantly higher proportion of the latter was detected when operators were board-certified specialists (P<0.001). Lastly, when comparing the start and the end of the breeding program, among dogs diagnosed with AS and PS (n = 364) in a French referral cardiology center, Boxer went from the 1st affected breed by AS to the 3rd, and from the 3rd affected breed by PS to the 6th. CONCLUSION: This 17-year screening program has experienced a strong involvement of veterinarians, breeders, and owners throughout France. This may have contributed to reduce AS and PS prevalence in Boxer dogs at the studied referral cardiology center.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37167326/