Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Managing persistent atrial fibrillation in dogs after mitral valve
By Kurogochi, Kentaro et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2025·JASMINE Veterinary Cardiovascular Medical Center, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Management of two dogs with post-operative new-onset persistent atrial fibrillation following mitral valve repair.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old Toy Poodle and a 12-year-old mixed-breed dog both developed a heart condition called atrial fibrillation after undergoing surgery to repair their mitral valves. The Toy Poodle was treated with digoxin, a medication that helps regulate heart rhythm, starting 30 days after surgery, and by 58 days post-surgery, his heart rhythm had returned to normal. The mixed-breed dog also started digoxin treatment after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation 130 days after surgery, and his heart rate improved by day 151. Both dogs showed positive responses to the treatment, suggesting that digoxin can be effective for managing this heart issue in dogs.
People also search for: dog heart problems after surgery · atrial fibrillation treatment in dogs · digoxin for dogs heart rhythm
Abstract
Post-operative new-onset atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a possible complication following cardiac surgery. Digoxin is a drug with positive inotropic and negative chronotropic effects and is listed among antiarrhythmic drugs that can be prescribed in dogs with atrial fibrillation. This report aims at describing the use of digoxin in two dogs with persistent POAF after mitral valve repair. Case 1 was a Toy Poodle, neutered male, 12 years old, weighing 5.0 kg. The patient was diagnosed with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Stage D myxomatous mitral valve disease without arrhythmia. The day of the surgery was defined as Day 1. Persistent POAF was diagnosed on Day 30 (1-min mean heart rate of 206 bpm by in-clinic electrocardiogram), and treatment with digoxin was started at a dose of 0.0040 mg/kg, p12h. The resolution of atrial fibrillation (AF) was confirmed at the follow-up visit on Day 58 (1-min mean heart rate of 162 bpm by in-clinic electrocardiogram). Case 2 was a mixed-breed dog, neutered male, 12 years old, weighing 7.6 kg. The patient was diagnosed with ACVIM Stage B2 myxomatous mitral valve disease without arrhythmia. After surgery, the patient had a normal sinus rhythm, but a paroxysmal ectopic atrial rhythm was observed on Day 32. Persistent POAF was diagnosed on Day 130 (1-min mean heart rate of 216 bpm by in-clinic electrocardiogram), and treatment with digoxin was started at a dose of 0.0037 mg/kg, p12h. The resolution of AF was confirmed on Day 151 (1-min mean heart rate of 107 bpm by in-clinic electrocardiogram). In this report, the authors suspected that digoxin therapy could have contributed, among other factors, to cardioversion. However, specifically designed studies are needed to confirm this preliminary hypothesis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39812505/