Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How often does left heart contrast appear in healthy resting dogs
By Lee, S & Kittleson, M D·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2026·Seoul Animal Heart Hospital, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of left heart contrast with agitated saline contrast echocardiography in healthy resting dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 48 healthy dogs underwent a special heart ultrasound test using agitated saline to see if it would show any unusual heart conditions. Surprisingly, 37 of the dogs (about 77%) showed signs of contrast in the left side of their hearts, even though they had no heart defects. This finding suggests that this phenomenon can happen in dogs without any serious issues, likely due to normal blood flow patterns in the lungs. While this test is useful, it’s important to remember that it doesn’t completely rule out all heart problems, so further testing may be needed if a dog shows symptoms.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Agitated saline contrast echocardiography (ASCE) has traditionally been used to identify the presence of right-to-left intracardiac shunts in dogs. In normal humans, contrast (microbubbles) commonly appears in the left heart following agitated saline contrast injection into a systemic vein via intrapulmonary (IP) shunting. The aim of this study was to determine whether this phenomenon also occurs in dogs. ANIMALS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: Forty-eight dogs with either a normal echocardiogram or trivial to mild mitral regurgitation were studied. A standard ASCE protocol was used, with each dog lying in right lateral recumbency. RESULTS: Left heart contrast was identified in 37 dogs (77%). STUDY LIMITATIONS: Agitated saline contrast echocardiography was performed only once per dog and under a single condition, and intra-operator and interoperator variability was not assessed. Echocardiography alone cannot completely exclude patent foramen ovale, and stress in the hospital environment may have influenced shunting. CONCLUSIONS: Left heart contrast following ASCE is common in dogs without a right-to-left shunting intracardiac defect. This presumably occurs via intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41192339/