Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Atrial septal defects in 156 dogs and cats studied 2001-2005
By Chetboul, V et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary medicine. A, Physiology, pathology, clinical medicine·2006·National Veterinary School of Alfort, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Retrospective study of 156 atrial septal defects in dogs and cats (2001-2005).
Plain-English summary
A study found that a congenital heart defect called atrial septal defect (ASD) was diagnosed in 156 dogs and cats, making it a common heart issue in pets, particularly in Boxers and Domestic Shorthairs. Many pets showed no symptoms, but some had signs like a heart murmur, exercise intolerance, fainting, or breathing problems. The researchers noted that pets with a heart murmur had larger defects. While ASD is often mild and may not cause serious health issues, it's important for pet owners to be aware of the signs and consult their veterinarian if they notice any unusual symptoms.
People also search for: dog heart murmur symptoms · cat fainting causes · Boxer heart problems · congenital heart disease in pets · exercise intolerance in dogs
Abstract
Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common congenital heart disease (CHD) in humans, but considered relatively rare in veterinary medicine. However, modern echocardiographic and Doppler techniques currently offer a good view of the morphology of the interatrial septum, thus facilitating earlier detection of ASD in awake animals. In this context, we carried out a retrospective study of cases of recently diagnosed ASD in dogs and cats at the Cardiology Unit of Alfort (2001-2005) using echocardiography combined with colour Doppler mode. ASD was diagnosed in 156 animals and represented 37.7% of all canine and feline CHDs (n = 414). ASD was the most common CHD after mitral dysplasia in both species. Boxer and Domestic shorthair were the most common canine and feline breeds affected. Most defects (98.7%) were secundum-type ASD, without clinical signs in 73.7% of cases. The most common clinical signs included systolic murmur heard over the left heart base (20.2%), exercise intolerance (7.0%), syncope (5.3%), dyspnoea (2.6%) and cough (2.6%). Animals that presented a systolic heart murmur over the left base had a significantly larger ASD than others (P < 0.05). These data suggest that the incidence of ASD is higher than previously assumed. ASD should be suspected, for example, in instances of left basal systolic heart murmur, although its clinical and haemodynamic consequences are usually minor.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16629951/