Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pulmonary artery disease causing breathing trouble in a Pembroke
By Kolm, U S et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2004·Medical Clinic for Small Animals and Infectious Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy in a Pembroke Welsh corgi.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 21-month-old male Pembroke Welsh corgi was brought in for breathing problems and extreme tiredness. The vet found a serious heart murmur and signs of low oxygen levels, which suggested a heart defect and possible lung disease. Tests showed high blood pressure in the lungs and a small heart defect called a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Unfortunately, the dog passed away, and further examination revealed severe changes in the lung arteries. This case highlights the complexity of heart and lung issues in young dogs.
People also search for: corgi breathing problems · puppy heart murmur · pulmonary hypertension in dogs · patent ductus arteriosus treatment
Abstract
A 21-month-old, male Pembroke Welsh corgi was referred for investigation of respiratory distress and progressive lethargy. Cardiac evaluation revealed a grade 4 pansystolic murmur over the left and right heart base. A heart murmur, dyspnoea, cyanosis, prolonged capillary refill time and ascites led to the tentative diagnosis of a cardiac malformation with a right-to-left shunt, with likely additional pulmonary disease. Pulmonary hypertension became evident during echocardiography, when the estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure was over 70 mmHg. Angiography revealed abnormal pulmonary vascular markings consistent with pulmonary hypertension and a small right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The diagnosis of PDA was confirmed at postmortem examination. Histology of the pulmonary arteries showed lesions of plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy. The question of whether both conditions were separate or part of the same clinical syndrome is discussed in this report.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15460205/