Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Congenital heart failure signs in 3-month-old Fila Brasileiro dog
By Larsson, M H et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1997·Faculdade de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Endocardial fibroelastosis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old male Fila Brasileiro puppy showed signs of severe heart failure, including swelling in the abdomen and pale, bluish gums. Despite a normal temperature, the puppy's condition worsened quickly, and he sadly passed away shortly after X-rays revealed serious heart and lung issues. A post-mortem examination found fluid in the chest and abdomen, along with significant heart enlargement and valve problems. The cause was identified as endocardial fibroelastosis, a rare heart condition that leads to thickening of the heart's inner lining. Unfortunately, there was no effective treatment for this congenital issue.
People also search for: puppy heart failure symptoms · Fila Brasileiro heart disease · endocardial fibroelastosis in dogs
Abstract
Endocardial fibroelastosis is an uncommon congenital heart disease in dogs that may be manifested by signs of left-sided congestive heart failure. A three-month-old, male, Fila Brasileiro dog developed signs of generalised heart failure. Physical examination revealed normal temperature, ascites, and pale and cyanotic mucous membranes. The pup died just after radiography which revealed ascites, hepatomegaly, severe cardiac enlargement and pulmonary oedema. At necropsy, serosanguineous fluid in the thorax and abdomen, pulmonary oedema, right ventricular dilatation, hypertrophy and dilatation of the left ventricle, and mitral valve incompetence were observed. The histopathological examination demonstrated that the thickening of the endocardium of the left atrium and left ventricle was due to the presence of elastic and collagen fibres, although there were no signs of an inflammatory process.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9127286/