Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Atrial fibrillation and heart issues in Dogue de Bordeaux dogs
By McAulay, G et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2018·Cardio-respiratory Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Phenotypic description of cardiac findings in a population of Dogue de Bordeaux with an emphasis on atrial fibrillation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Dogue de Bordeaux dogs was examined for heart problems, and 25 out of 64 were found to have atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. Many of these dogs also showed signs of heart muscle weakness and enlargement of the heart chambers. The average heart rate for those with atrial fibrillation was quite high, at 200 beats per minute. While some dogs had no obvious structural heart disease, the presence of arrhythmias suggests there may be an underlying heart issue. Treatment options would depend on the specific symptoms and findings from a veterinarian's examination.
People also search for: Dogue de Bordeaux heart problems · dog atrial fibrillation treatment · symptoms of dog heart disease
Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the clinical phenotype of Dogue de Bordeaux (DdB) referred for cardiac investigation, with particular reference to the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and associated features. Review of canine medical records of two United Kingdom veterinary referral hospitals identified 64 DdB with available echocardiographic and electrocardiographic (ECG)/Holter data. Atrial fibrillation was documented in 25 (39%) dogs and supraventricular tachycardia was recorded in five (7.8%) dogs. In a subset of 34 dogs, excluding congenital heart disease (n=17), presence of a cardiac mass (n=7) and non-cardiac neoplasia (n=6), 19 (56%) dogs had atrial fibrillation, with a median heart rate of 200 beats per min (bpm) on presentation. Atrial fibrillation was inconsistently associated with cardiac chamber remodelling, but was frequently associated with systolic dysfunction (13/19, 68.4%) and right sided atrial or ventricular dilatation (14/19, 73.7%) in dogs with atrial fibrillation in this subset. No dogs in this subset had right sided atrial or ventricular dilatation in the absence of supraventricular arrhythmia or systolic dysfunction. The absence of structural heart disease in some dogs with supraventricular arrhythmias suggests that an underlying primary arrhythmic process might be responsible for initiating remodelling, although a primary cardiomyopathy cannot be ruled out.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29680382/