Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
American Cocker Spaniel with heart failure from taurine deficiency
By Gavaghan, B J & Kittleson, M D·Published in Australian veterinary journal·1997·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dilated cardiomyopathy in an American cocker spaniel with taurine deficiency.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An American Cocker Spaniel was brought to the vet because it was having trouble breathing due to fluid buildup in the lungs. Tests showed the dog had very low levels of taurine, an important nutrient, and its heart function was severely impaired. The vet provided emergency treatment with medications and oxygen, which helped the dog feel better. For ongoing care, the dog was given a combination of heart medications and taurine supplements. Over 22 weeks, the dog's heart function improved significantly, suggesting that the heart issues may be linked to the taurine deficiency.
People also search for: American Cocker Spaniel breathing problems · taurine deficiency in dogs · heart medication for dogs · dog heart disease treatment
Abstract
An American Cocker Spaniel with low plasma taurine concentration (< 2 nmol/mL) was presented with dyspnoea associated with pulmonary oedema and a left ventricular shortening fraction of 9%. Emergency therapy with furosemide, dobutamine, nitroglycerine and oxygen supplementation led to a good response. Chronic therapy was started with enalapril, furosemide, digoxin and taurine. Improvement in all echocardiographic indices were noted over a 22 week follow-up, most notably an increase in left ventricular shortening fraction to 20%, a decrease of E-point septal separation from 14 mm to 7 mm and marked left ventricular remodelling. This degree of improvement in myocardial function may represent a direct link between dilated cardiomyopathy in the American Cocker Spaniel and plasma taurine deficiency. Alternatively, this response may reflect a breed-related cardiomyopathy with a natural history and therapeutic response not commonly seen in the more common large breed cardiomyopathy presentations.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9469219/