Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tricuspid valve leakage after heart surgery in a puppy dog
By Chanoit, G et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2009·Department of Companion Animals, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Transient tricuspid valve regurgitation following surgical treatment of cor triatriatum dexter in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old Rottweiler developed a heart problem called tricuspid valve regurgitation right after surgery for a condition known as cor triatriatum dexter, which affects blood flow in the heart. The puppy was treated with medications including benazepril, spironolactone, and furosemide to help manage the condition. After five months, another medication called pimobendan was added, and eventually, all treatments were stopped when the puppy showed no signs of fluid buildup or liver enlargement, and the heart issue improved significantly. This case highlights how some heart problems can resolve over time with proper treatment and monitoring.
People also search for: puppy heart murmur treatment · Rottweiler heart problems · tricuspid valve regurgitation in dogs
Abstract
Echocardiographically documented tricuspid valve regurgitation appeared immediately after surgical treatment of cor triatriatum dexter in a two-month-old rottweiler. Medical treatment was instituted with benazepril, spironolactone and furosemide. Pimobendan was added after five months, and all treatment was discontinued two months later when clinical signs of ascites and hepatomegaly had resolved and tricuspid valve regurgitation was markedly reduced on echocardiography. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing the development and spontaneous improvement of haemodynamically significant tricuspid valve regurgitation following surgical treatment of cor triatriatum dexter in a dog. It is hypothesised that the increase in right atrial volume and pressure following cor triatriatum dexter repair and transient ischaemia of papillary muscles led to dilatation of the right atrioventricular annulus and subsequent severe tricuspid valve regurgitation in the face of an anatomically normal valve. Time and pharmacological preload reduction as well as normalisation of right atrial inflow and subsequent cardiac remodelling substantially reduced tricuspid valve regurgitation and eliminated clinical signs of heart failure. It is also possible that heart recovery has been spontaneous.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19425172/