Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How dehydration changes heart ultrasound in normal cats
By Campbell, F E & Kittleson, M D·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2007·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The effect of hydration status on the echocardiographic measurements of normal cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Ten healthy mixed-breed cats were studied to see how their hydration levels affected heart measurements taken by ultrasound (echocardiography). When the cats were dehydrated, certain heart measurements changed, which could make it look like they had heart disease when they didn't. Giving the cats fluids helped improve these measurements, but in some cases, it even caused a heart murmur. This suggests that a cat's hydration status is important to consider when checking for heart problems, as it can affect the results of the tests.
People also search for: cat heart disease symptoms · echocardiogram results in cats · hydration effects on cat heart health
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of cardiomyopathy of cats is based on 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography. However, circulating fluid volume largely determines diastolic cardiac chamber dimensions, and reduced diastolic volume in other species results in what has been called "pseudohypertrophy of the ventricular myocardium." HYPOTHESIS: Altered hydration produces changes on 2D echocardiography that may confound the diagnosis or severity assessment of cardiomyopathy of cats. ANIMALS: Ten normal colony-sourced mixed breed cats were included. METHODS: Cats were examined by echocardiography at baseline and at completion of 3 protocols (volume depletion and maintenance-rate and anesthetic-rate IV fluid administration) applied in randomized crossover design with a 6-7 day washout period. RESULTS: Volume depletion increased diastolic left ventricular interventricular septal (IVSd) and free wall diameter (4.5 +/- 0.4 to 5.8 +/- 0.6 mm; P < .001) with wall thickness exceeding 6 mm in 4 cats. Diastolic left ventricular internal diameter (LVIDd) decreased, and reduction in systolic left ventricular internal diameter (LVIDs) produced end-systolic cavity obliteration in 7 cats. Left-atrial-to-aortic-root ratio (LA: Ao, 1.4 +/- 0.2 to 1.2 +/- 0.1, P < .05) and left atrial area in diastole (LAAd) decreased with volume depletion. Maintenance-rate IV fluid administration increased LAAd and fractional shortening (FS%). Anesthetic-rate IV fluid administration increased LVIDd, FS%, LAAd, and LA:Ao ratios (to 1.7 +/- 0.1, P < .01), producing an LA: Ao ratio above normal limits in 6 cats. A systolic heart murmur developed with administration of fluid at maintenance (n = 1) and anesthetic rates (n = 6). CONCLUSIONS: Altered hydration status produces changes in the echocardiographic examination of normal cats that may lead to an erroneous diagnosis of cardiomyopathy or mask its presence. Hydration status should be considered during echocardiographic examination in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17939557/