Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How likely is early mitral valve disease in Cavalier King Charles
By Lewis, Tom et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2011·Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Heritability of premature mitral valve disease in Cavalier King Charles spaniels.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 4- to 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniels was examined for heart murmurs, which can indicate premature mitral valve disease (MVD). Out of 1,252 dogs, 108 were found to have murmurs, suggesting a significant number may be affected. The study showed that the likelihood and severity of MVD in these dogs are strongly inherited, meaning that breeding practices could potentially reduce the occurrence of this heart condition. This information is valuable for breeders and owners concerned about heart health in their dogs.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel heart murmur · premature mitral valve disease in dogs · dog heart problems hereditary
Abstract
Mixed model analysis of 1252 records of cardiac auscultation of 4- to 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCS) from 1991 to 2008 in conjunction with the Kennel Club pedigree records of all dogs registered from the mid 1980s to September 2007 was used to estimate variance parameters of premature mitral valve disease (MVD). Data were limited to dogs ≥4 and <5 years of age to ensure diagnostic distinction between early and late onset MVD. Cardiac murmurs were detected in 108/1252 (8.6%) dogs. Heritability estimates of 0.67 (standard error, SE 0.071) for the grade of murmur and 0.33 (SE 0.072) for the presence/absence of murmur were calculated. The variance due to clinician was 0.02 (SE 0.012) for grade and 0.03 (SE 0.017) for presence/absence of murmur. These results indicate that the presence and severity of MVD, as assessed by cardiac auscultation, in 4- to 5-year-old CKCS is highly heritable and that selection against the disease should be successful.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20347358/