Transthoracic echocardiographic reference intervals in the English Setter dog.
L I Vatne, AniCura Animal Hospital Oslo, Norway
D Dickson, HeartVets Porthcawl, UK
M Rishniw, Veterinary Information Network/ Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
A Tidholm, AniCura Albano Djursjukhus, Danderyd, Sweden
D Caivano, Perugia University, Italy
A prospective, observational, longitudinal study.
Aims:
1. To establish standard echocardiographic reference intervals in English Setters. We will obtain echocardiographic data from 100 apparently healthy English Setters and use standard analytical methods to determine reference intervals.
2. To examine the effect of age, weight and sex on echocardiographic variables in English Setters. Data from Aim 1 will be used to examine the effect of age and sex on select echocardiographic variables.
3. To compare standard echocardiographic variables between working English Setters and sedentary English Setters. Data obtained in Aim 1 will be stratified according to activity and compared to determine if activity level affects these variables.
4. To compare standard echocardiographic variables from working and sedentary English Setters with published reference intervals from other breeds of similar size. Data obtained in Aim 1 will be compared to published data from English Springer Spaniels and to allometric scaling models for dogs.
Study population: approximately 90 dogs recruited from local veterinary practices in Norway and from the national English Setter club and approximately 10 dogs from Perugia University, Italy.
Inclusion criteria: Apparently healthy dogs, without a history of chronic disease, ranging from 18 months of age to 10 years of age at the first examination.
Exclusion criteria: Dogs with murmurs, non-physiological arrhythmias, pre-existing cardiac disease or other relevant systemic disease. Dogs with significant valve regurgitation. Pregnant and lactating female dogs. Dogs with cardiac troponin I levels above reference range.
Methods:
All provisionally eligible dogs will undergo a complete physical examination. A history will be obtained via a questionnaire and owner interview. Serum will be collected for Cardiac Troponin I levels. A blood sample will be collected with a fine hypodermic needle from the left or right cephalic vein. Blood pressure measurement will be performed by oscillometry under gentle restraint.
Subsequently, dogs will undergo transthoracic echocardiography. Conscious dogs will be examined, gently restrained in lateral recumbency on a specially designed echocardiography table with a soft surface.
Ten randomly selected dogs will be examined twice within a one-month interval to determine intra observer variability. Ten randomly selected recorded echocardiograms will be subjected to independent repeated measurements by a second investigator to determine inter-observer variability.
40 dogs will undergo a second echocardiographic evaluation, performed after a minimum interval of 12 months, to confirm stability of echocardiographic measurements over time.
All owners will have to sign a written consent form.
No harmful procedures will be performed on the animals other than blood sample collection.
D Dickson, HeartVets Porthcawl, UK
M Rishniw, Veterinary Information Network/ Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
A Tidholm, AniCura Albano Djursjukhus, Danderyd, Sweden
D Caivano, Perugia University, Italy
A prospective, observational, longitudinal study.
Aims:
1. To establish standard echocardiographic reference intervals in English Setters. We will obtain echocardiographic data from 100 apparently healthy English Setters and use standard analytical methods to determine reference intervals.
2. To examine the effect of age, weight and sex on echocardiographic variables in English Setters. Data from Aim 1 will be used to examine the effect of age and sex on select echocardiographic variables.
3. To compare standard echocardiographic variables between working English Setters and sedentary English Setters. Data obtained in Aim 1 will be stratified according to activity and compared to determine if activity level affects these variables.
4. To compare standard echocardiographic variables from working and sedentary English Setters with published reference intervals from other breeds of similar size. Data obtained in Aim 1 will be compared to published data from English Springer Spaniels and to allometric scaling models for dogs.
Study population: approximately 90 dogs recruited from local veterinary practices in Norway and from the national English Setter club and approximately 10 dogs from Perugia University, Italy.
Inclusion criteria: Apparently healthy dogs, without a history of chronic disease, ranging from 18 months of age to 10 years of age at the first examination.
Exclusion criteria: Dogs with murmurs, non-physiological arrhythmias, pre-existing cardiac disease or other relevant systemic disease. Dogs with significant valve regurgitation. Pregnant and lactating female dogs. Dogs with cardiac troponin I levels above reference range.
Methods:
All provisionally eligible dogs will undergo a complete physical examination. A history will be obtained via a questionnaire and owner interview. Serum will be collected for Cardiac Troponin I levels. A blood sample will be collected with a fine hypodermic needle from the left or right cephalic vein. Blood pressure measurement will be performed by oscillometry under gentle restraint.
Subsequently, dogs will undergo transthoracic echocardiography. Conscious dogs will be examined, gently restrained in lateral recumbency on a specially designed echocardiography table with a soft surface.
Ten randomly selected dogs will be examined twice within a one-month interval to determine intra observer variability. Ten randomly selected recorded echocardiograms will be subjected to independent repeated measurements by a second investigator to determine inter-observer variability.
40 dogs will undergo a second echocardiographic evaluation, performed after a minimum interval of 12 months, to confirm stability of echocardiographic measurements over time.
All owners will have to sign a written consent form.
No harmful procedures will be performed on the animals other than blood sample collection.