Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pulmonary blood volume changes in Cavalier King Charles spaniels
By Eriksson, A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2010·Minerva Institute for Medical Research·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pulmonary blood volume in mitral regurgitation in Cavalier King Charles spaniels.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with varying stages of heart disease were studied to understand how heart function affects blood flow in the lungs. The researchers found that as the severity of mitral regurgitation (a heart valve problem) increased, so did the amount of blood in the lungs, which can lead to breathing difficulties. This study suggests that measuring how quickly blood moves through the lungs can help veterinarians assess heart health in these dogs. The findings could help in diagnosing and managing heart problems more effectively.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel heart disease symptoms · dog breathing problems mitral regurgitation · heart failure treatment for dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary edema and venous congestion are well-recognized signs of congestive heart failure (CHF) in advanced canine chronic mitral regurgitation (MR). However, little is known about pulmonary blood volume (PBV), blood pulmonary transit time (PTT), and the regulation of these. OBJECTIVES: To measure and evaluate the relationships of PBV, forward stroke volume (FSV), and heart rate normalized blood pulmonary transit time (nPTT) in healthy dogs and dogs with MR. ANIMALS: Thirty-three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels; 11 healthy, 4 in modified New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I, 11 in class II, and 7 in CHF. METHODS: Heart rate normalized PTTs were measured by radionuclide angiocardiography. Left ventricular end diastolic and systolic diameter, left atrial/aortic root ratio, and FSV were measured by echocardiography. PBV and pulmonary blood volume index (PBVI) were calculated by established formulas. RESULTS: PBVI was 308±56 (mean±SD) mL/m2 for healthy dogs, 287±51 mL/m2 in NYHA class I, 360±66 mL/m2 in Class II, and 623±232 mL/m2 in CHF (P=.0008). Heart rate normalized PTT, not FSV, was a predictor of PBV (r=0.92 and 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Increased PBV, not decreased FSV, is the main cause of increased nPTT in MR. Increased nPTT can be used as an indicator of abnormal cardiopulmonary function in dogs with MR.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20958790/