Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with congestive heart failure develops heart attack
By DeFrancesco, T C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1996·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Myocardial infarction complicating management of congestive heart failure in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old mixed-breed dog suddenly became weak, had trouble breathing, and showed an irregular heartbeat. She had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure due to a leaky mitral valve six weeks earlier and was being treated with medications. Unfortunately, tests revealed she had a heart attack, and despite receiving emergency treatment, she developed a life-threatening heart rhythm and passed away within a day and a half. This case highlights that heart attacks, while rare in dogs, should be considered when a pet shows sudden weakness and breathing problems.
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Abstract
A 7.5-kg, 10-year-old, spayed female, mixed-breed dog was evaluated for sudden onset of weakness, tachypnea, and an irregular cardiac rhythm. Congestive heart failure secondary to mitral valve regurgitation had been diagnosed six weeks earlier. The dog was stable on furosemide, enalapril, and hydralazine. Complex ventricular tachycardia, altered QRS conformation of sinus complexes, echocardiographic evidence of a hypokinetic left-ventricular free wall, and elevated creatine kinase suggested a diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Despite antiarrhythmic therapy, the dog developed ventricular fibrillation and died 36 hours after admission. Postmortem examination confirmed the myocardial infarction. Although a rare diagnosis in the veterinary patient, myocardial infarction must be considered in the differential diagnosis for sudden onset of weakness, tachypnea, and ventricular tachycardia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8963739/