Cardiovascular dysfunction in dogs associated with critical illnesses.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Cardiology
• Canine Internal Medicine
• Critical Care

Background:

• Left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) can occur in dogs with severe systemic illness.
• Common causes of severe systemic illness in dogs include sepsis and cancer.
• The presentation and outcomes of LVD in critically ill dogs require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of left ventricular dysfunction in dogs with severe systemic illness.
• To determine the association between LVD and specific diagnoses in critically ill dogs.
• To evaluate the short-term prognosis for dogs with LVD and severe systemic illness.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records from 16 dogs diagnosed with left ventricular dysfunction.
• Analysis of clinical signs, diagnostic findings, and outcomes.
• Correlation of LVD with underlying systemic diseases such as sepsis and cancer.

Main Results:

• The most frequent diagnoses associated with LVD were sepsis (n=?) and cancer (n=?).
• No dogs presented with clinical signs of congestive heart failure, despite documented LVD.
• Generalized weakness was a common presenting complaint (15/16 dogs).
• A high mortality rate was observed, with 75% (12/16) of dogs dying or being euthanized within 15 days.
• The average survival time was short, at 3.6 days post-admission.

Conclusions:

• Left ventricular dysfunction is a significant complication in dogs with severe systemic illness, particularly sepsis and cancer.
• The absence of congestive heart failure signs does not preclude a poor prognosis in these cases.
• Rapid mortality underscores the critical nature of LVD in the context of severe systemic disease in dogs.