2015 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

These results indicate that the left atrial phasic function enhanced during volume loading. Loading condition should be considered when evaluating the left atrial phasic function by indices derived from left atrial phasic sizes. This study aimed to evaluate noninvasive values of +dP/dt and -dP/dt in dogs in different stages of chronic mitral valve disease (CMVD), and to correlate these values with systolic and diastolic echocardiographic indexes of left ventricular function. A crosssectional prospective observational clinical study of 36 dogs with CMVD was performed; 11 patients were in stage B1 and 9 in stage B2 without congestive heart failure (CHF) and 16 in stage C with CHF. Physical exam, systolic arterial blood pressure, thoracic radiography, electrocardiogram and transthoracic echocardiography were obtained. Dogs in CHF presented lower +dP/dt (2461 mmHg/s, P 25 -P 75 = 2065-3177, P = 0.0292) and -dP/dt (931.7 mmHg/s, P 25 -P 75 = 742.2-1141, P = 0.0053) compared to those without CHF (+dP/dt=3085 mmHg/s, P 25 -P 75 = 2560-4309; -dP/dt=1393 mmHg/s, P 25 -P 75 = 974.3-2144), despite the fact that ejection fraction and fractional shortening were not different. Values of -dP/dt were correlated with diastolic indexes, as IVRT (r = 0.3821; P = 0.0235), E/IVRT (r = -0.5093, P = 0.0019), E wave (r = -0.4548; P = 0.0060) and %LVDd (r = 0.6679; P < 0.0001). Both -dP/dt and +dP/dt were negatively correlated with LA/Ao ratio (r = 0.6476; P < 0.0001 and r = -0.4619; P = 0.006). It was concluded that -dP/dt can be a complementary index to assess diastolic function in dogs with CMVD. In this study, +dP/dt was more efficient detecting impairment of systolic function than the routinely used indexes, possibly due to a lower load dependence. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a common congenital heart defect usually diagnosed and closed in young dogs due to a poor long-term prognosis. Herein we describe the clinical characteristics of 35 dogs at least 5 years of age diagnosed with PDA between November 1997 and October 2014. Data including signalment, physical exam, concurrent cardiac disease, heart size and treatment were obtained from medical records.