Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart pumping problems in dogs with low adrenal hormone disease
By Gunasekaran, T & Sanders, R A·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2022·Bluepearl Veterinary Partners, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Ventricular systolic dysfunction in dogs diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three dogs were diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism (a condition where the adrenal glands don't produce enough hormones) and showed signs of heart problems, including heart enlargement and reduced heart function. Two of these dogs had symptoms of congestive heart failure, while the third showed signs of acute hypoadrenocorticism without heart failure. After starting treatment with steroid therapy, all three dogs improved, and their heart size and function returned to normal. This case highlights the importance of checking for adrenal gland issues in dogs with heart problems.
People also search for: dog heart problems treatment · hypoadrenocorticism in dogs · dog congestive heart failure signs · adrenal gland disease in dogs · dog heart murmur causes
Abstract
In human patients with hypoadrenocorticism, a secondary dilated cardiomyopathy is noted that has been reported to resolve with replacement steroid therapy. A similar secondary dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism has not been previously described. We present three dogs concurrently diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism and ventricular dilation with systolic dysfunction. Two dogs were presented with clinical signs consistent with biventricular congestive heart failure and a third dog was presented with signs of acute hypoadrenocorticism without congestive heart failure. All dogs recovered to normal cardiac size and function with therapy. Hypoadrenocorticism should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dogs that present with ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction if there are other indicators in the clinical and laboratory testing. Additionally, a thorough cardiac evaluation should be recommended for dogs that are found to have a heart murmur at the time of diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35597068/