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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

How treatment lowers breathing rate in dogs with heart failure

By Schober, Karsten E et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2011·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Effects of treatment on respiratory rate, serum natriuretic peptide concentration, and Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular filling pressure in dogs with congestive heart failure secondary to degenerative mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of 63 dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) caused by heart issues like degenerative mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy were monitored to see how treatment affected their breathing and heart function. Owners tracked their dogs' breathing rates at home, and after treatment, many dogs showed improvements, including lower breathing rates and better heart function measurements. The study found that monitoring breathing rates was a simple and effective way to assess how well the treatment was working. Most dogs improved significantly, indicating that the treatment was successful.

People also search for: dog congestive heart failure treatment · why is my dog breathing fast · signs of heart disease in dogs

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of treatment on respiratory rate, serum natriuretic peptide concentrations, and Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular filling pressure in dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to degenerative mitral valve disease (MVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. ANIMALS: 63 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Physical examination, thoracic radiography, analysis of natriuretic peptide concentrations, and Doppler echocardiography were performed twice, at baseline (examination 1) and 5 to 14 days later (examination 2). Home monitoring of respiratory rate was performed by the owners between examinations. RESULTS: In dogs with MVD, resolution of CHF was associated with a decrease in respiratory rate, serum N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration, and diastolic functional class and an increase of the ratio of peak velocity of early diastolic transmitral flow to peak velocity of early diastolic lateral mitral annulus motion (E:Ea Lat). In dogs with DCM, resolution of CHF was associated with a decrease in respiratory rate and serum NT-proBNP concentration and significant changes in 7 Doppler echocardiographic variables, including a decrease of E:Ea Lat and the ratio of peak velocity of early diastolic transmitral flow to isovolumic relaxation time. Only respiratory rate predicted the presence of CHF at examination 2 with high accuracy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Resolution of CHF was associated with predictable changes in respiratory rate, serum NT-proBNP concentration, and selected Doppler echocardiographic variables in dogs with DCM and MVD. Home monitoring of respiratory rate was simple and was the most useful in the assessment of successful treatment of CHF.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21838584/