Preventative Care: Jupiter's Echocardiogram  July 10, 2008

 

 

 

 

 In 2006, the veterinarians at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) detected an irregular heartbeat prior to Jupiter's laparoscopic gastropexy. They did an echocardiogram (ECG) and found his heart functionally sound.  One-1/2 years later, Dr. Pema Mallu, our holistic vet at Veterinary Holistic Care center, heard the same irregularity and suggested a re-test to rule out one of the deadliest diseases in Danes: Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Jupiter had his pre-ECG exam from Dr. Steven Wolchinsky, chief veterinarian at Rocky Gorge Animal Hospital.  Dr. Wolchinsky also detected the irregularity, and ordered an echocardiogram that same day.

Rocky Gorge is a state-of-the-art veterinary facility with their own ECG on site. The digital photos were available on CD the same day, and Dr. Wolchinsky said his preliminary results looked fine.

 
 

The films were sent out to Rocky Gorge's cardiologist. Within three days we received these results:

From:  Dr. Jean Betkowski, VMD, Dipl ACVIM (cardiology)
July 12, 2008

Findings:
Still and video images of an echocardiogram and thoracic radiographs are submitted for review. The left atrium is normal in size. All valves viewed appear normal. The left ventricular cavity is normal in diastole (5.1cm) and systole (3.3 cm) with a normal fractional shortening ((35%) The left ventricular walls are normal for thickness (1.2 cm septal wall and 1.2 cm free wall.) The right side of the heart appears normal. The main pulmonary artery appears normal in comparison to the aorta. There is no pleural or pericardial effusion or evidence of neoplasia on this exam. The heart rate is measured at 154 BPM and a regular rhythm is seen on M-mode exam.

 Assessment:
The echocardiogram shows normal cardiac structure and function with no indication of significant underlying cardiac disease. The split heart sound may be an incidental finding in this dog but the presence of very early valvular disease or other changes cannot be ruled out. The heart appears to be compensating for any condition at this time with the normal cardiac structure seen here.

 No cardiac medications are recommended based on this exam. If the murmur returns or the cardiac auscultation otherwise significantly changes, the echocardiogram can be repeated to monitor for changes to the cardiac structure and function. If the cardiac auscultation does not change and the heart remains in the normal range, no further diagnostics may be warranted.
 
 

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