Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Subvalvular aortic stenosis inherited in golden retrievers with echo
By Stern, J A et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2012·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Familial subvalvular aortic stenosis in golden retrievers: inheritance and echocardiographic findings.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of golden retrievers was evaluated for heart problems, specifically subvalvular aortic stenosis, which can cause symptoms like a heart murmur or difficulty breathing. Out of 73 dogs, 32 were diagnosed, showing varying degrees of severity based on echocardiogram results. Many of these affected dogs had signs of heart strain, such as left ventricular hypertrophy (thickening of the heart muscle) and aortic insufficiency (leakage in the heart valve). This condition appears to run in families, suggesting a genetic link. Regular check-ups and echocardiograms can help monitor affected dogs and manage their heart health.
People also search for: golden retriever heart murmur · subvalvular aortic stenosis symptoms · dog heart disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To describe the echocardiographic findings and pedigree analysis of golden retrievers with subvalvular aortic stenosis. METHODS: Seventy-three golden retrievers were evaluated by auscultation and echocardiography. A subcostal continuous-wave Doppler aortic velocity ê2·5 m/s and presence of a left basilar systolic ejection murmur were required for diagnosis of subvalvular aortic stenosis. Three echocardiographic characteristics were recorded: evidence of aortic insufficiency, subvalvular ridge or left ventricular hypertrophy. A disease status score was calculated by totalling the number of echocardiographic -characteristics per subject. RESULTS: Thirty-two of 73 dogs were affected and their aortic velocities were as follows: range 2·5 to 6·8 m/s, median 3·4 m/s and standard deviation 1·2 m/s. Echocardiographic characteristics of 32 affected dogs were distributed as follows: left ventricular hypertrophy 12 of 32, aortic insufficiency 20 of 32 and subvalvular ridge 20 of 32. Disease status score ranged from 0 to 3 with a median of 2. There was a statistically significant correlation between aortic velocity and disease status score (r=0·644, P<0·0001). Subvalvular aortic stenosis was observed in multiple generations of several families and appears familial. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Subvalvular aortic stenosis in the golden retriever is familial. Severity of stenosis correlates well with cumulative presence of echocardiographic characteristics (left ventricular hypertrophy, subvalvular ridge and aortic insufficiency).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22417094/