Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Medical management of congestive heart failure in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1982
- Authors:
- Brumbaugh, G W et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was diagnosed with serious heart issues, including an irregular heartbeat and signs of congestive heart failure, which means his heart wasn't pumping blood effectively. He was initially treated with medications given through an IV, including digoxin and furosemide, which helped improve his condition. After some time, he was switched to an oral form of digoxin, and the amount of furosemide he needed was reduced and eventually stopped as he got better. Although his heart condition improved somewhat, the long-term outlook for him to return to athletic activities was not good. Sadly, after 35 days of treatment, he was euthanized due to severe heart damage found during a post-mortem examination. The case suggests that digoxin might be helpful for managing heart failure in some horses.
Abstract
A 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding with atrial fibrillation, mitral regurgitation, and signs of bilateral congestive heart failure was initially treated IV with digoxin and furosemide. After parenteral digitalization, a daily maintenance dose of digoxin was administered orally at a rate of 21.7 micrograms/kg of body weight. At this dosage, a steady-state serum digoxin concentration of 2.3 ng/ml was achieved without clinical signs of toxicosis. The furosemide dosage was decreased and eventually discontinued as clinical improvement occurred. Clinical signs of congestive heart failure were controlled and sinus rhythm was intermittently established, but an unfavorable prognosis was given for future athletic work. After 35 days of therapy, cardiac catheterization was performed and the horse was euthanatized. At necropsy there was marked dilatation of all cardiac chambers, mitral valve fibrosis, and left atrial jet lesions. The response of this patient suggested that orally administered digoxin may be useful in the management of congestive heart failure in selected equine patients.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7085465/