Research Communications of the 27(th) ECVIM-CA Congress: Intercontinental, Saint Julian's, Malta, 14th to 16th September 2017

Disclosures: No disclosures to report. Clinicians in first-opinion practice commonly diagnose congestive heart failure (CHF) in small breed dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) that do not have CHF. To improve the accuracy of CHF diagnosis, we developed an initial algorithm based on historical, physical and radiographic findings that might help a clinician in first opinion practice to more accurately diagnose CHF in these dogs. We then sought to refine and validate the algorithm by determining which of these historical, physical and radiographic findings help discriminate dogs with MMVD into CHF and "not CHF" groups. We collected the following historical and physical examination information on 52 small-breed dogs presenting for evaluation of a cough, murmur, or suspicion of CHF to the referral clinician: presence or absence of coughing, duration of coughing, recent worsening of cough, presence of loud crackles, murmur intensity, presence of sinus arrhythmia, heart rate, in-clinic respiratory rate, presence or absence of dyspnea, sleeping respiratory rate, response to a diuretic trial (if considered necessary by the referral clinician) and radiographic evaluation of left atrial size. Additionally, all dogs underwent echocardiographic evaluation. The diagnosis of "CHF" or "not CHF" was made by each investigator on their own cases, using all required diagnostic tests and treatment, and not validated by other investigators.