RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS OF THE 28th ECVIM-CA CONGRESS

The vertebral heart sum and echocardiographic variables (fractional shortening, and left atrial‐to‐aortic ratio) showed no significant difference between the control and the exercise groups, and before and after the exercise intervention (day 0 and 180: control: VHS 9.9±0.7 and 9.9±0.8, FS 42±7% and 44±11%, LA/Ao 1.2±0.1 and 1.3±0.1; exercise: VHS 9.9±0.6 and 9.8±0.4, FS 41±10% and 46±10%, LA/Ao 1.3±0.2 and 1.3±0.2). After six months of exercise, the quality of life score was significantly decreased in the exercise group (before: 11.6±2.7, after: 9.1±1.3; P = 0.26), but not in the control group (day 0: 10.5±2.8, day 180: 10.2±2.0); and the six‐minute walk distance was significantly increased in the exercise group (before: 300.2±101.0 m, after: 362.4±112.4 m; P = 0.008), but not in the control group (day 0: 346.7±117.7 m, day 180: 378.3±135.0 m). To conclude, a six‐month structured exercise program was well‐tolerated in sedentary dogs with asymptomatic myxomatous mitral valve disease. This program may improve the quality of life without impairment of the selected radiographic and echocardiographic parameters.