Impact of Doxorubicin on Cardiac Function in Dogs: Ejection Fraction Changes and Heart Failure Risk

Doxorubicin is an antitumor antibiotic. It is often used in veterinary medicine to treat and extend the lives of dogs with cancer. A cardiotoxic side effect can lead to heart failure and treatment discontinuation. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the drug's cardiotoxic effects on the ejection fraction (EF) of dogs in doxorubicin protocols. The search was done in eight databases, with a total of 3587 articles screened, resulting in fifteen eligible articles included. A report on the included studies' methods and results was done. It also assessed the risk of bias. Thirteen articles demonstrated cardiac changes in echocardiography with different routes of administration (intravenous and intracoronary). The intracoronary route was more toxic, and in all six studies performed, there was heart failure. The intravenous route caused heart failure in six of the nine studies. A meta-analysis showed this drug worsened heart disease. It included four studies where it significantly lowered the EF. Overall, the intervention produced a mean reduction of 21.24% in EF. This review shows doxorubicin's impact on cardiac function. It reveals the need for careful monitoring of each patient.