N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels in normotensive and hypertensive dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease stage B.

BACKGROUND: Systemic hypertension affects the heart, and to the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the effects of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) stage B and systemic hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the blood level of NT-proBNP and assess the selected echocardiographic variables in dogs with MMVD stage B according to the presence of systemic hypertension or normal blood pressure and in dogs without MMVD. RESULTS: The study group comprised 37 dogs with stage B MMVD (normotensive group, n = 30; systemic hypertension group, n = 7) and 13 dogs without MMVD. We evaluated NT-proBNP, blood pressure, complete blood count (CBC), and serum chemistry in all 50 dogs. We performed electrocardiography, radiography, and echocardiography on 44 dogs (37 dogs with MMVD and 7 dogs without MMVD). The NT-proBNP concentrations showed significant intergroup differences (p < 0.001). Normotensive dogs with MMVD stage B (median [interquartile range]: 1083.5 [574.8-1912.8] pmol/L) and hypertensive dogs with MMVD stage B (2345.0 [1812.5-2533.0] pmol/L) showed significantly higher NT-proBNP concentrations than dogs without MMVD (504 [430-774] pmol/L, p = 0.009 and p < 0.001, respectively), and dogs in the systemic hypertension group showed significantly higher NT-proBNP concentrations than those in the normotensive group (p = 0.046). Mitral valve regurgitation velocity was significantly higher in dogs in the systemic hypertension group (6.11 [6.07-6.24] m/s) than in those in the normotensive group (5.53 [5.17-5.95] m/s, p = 0.006). The left atrial to aortic root ratio (LA/Ao), E-peak velocity, and left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter corrected for body weight (LVIDDN) were significantly lower in dogs without MMVD than in dogs with MMVD stage B. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that NT-proBNP concentrations are higher in dogs with MMVD stage B with systemic hypertension than in normotensive dogs with MMVD stage B. Therefore, clinicians should be aware that NT-proBNP could be elevated in the presence of systemic hypertension.

Prevalence of Reticulocytosis in the Absence of Anemia in Dogs with Cardiogenic Pulmonary Edema Due to Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease: A Retrospective Study.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common heart disease in small breed dogs. Dogs with MMVD commonly show clinical signs of dyspnea due to cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE). Reticulocytosis in the absence of anemia (RAA) is a hematological finding in hypoxic conditions. We aimed to assess the prevalence of RAA in dogs with CPE due to MMVD, and evaluate whether RAA is reversible with amelioration of dyspnea. Twenty-nine client-owned dogs with CPE due to MMVD were included. Dogs who died within 6 weeks of the onset of CPE were included in the non-survival group, while the others comprised the survival group. Of the 21 dogs, RAA was observed in 17 dogs (80.9%). In the RAA group, the absolute reticulocyte count significantly decreased as CPE resolved (p < 0.001). The mean absolute reticulocyte count in the RAA group was 163.90 ± 50.77 on the first measurement and 78.84 ± 25.64 after resolution of CPE. In the RAA group, no significant differences in mean absolute reticulocyte count were observed between the survival and non-survival groups at either the first or second measurement. Our results indicate that RAA occurs in dogs with MMVD-related CPE and can resolve after resolution of CPE.

Evaluation of cardiopulmonary and inflammatory markers in dogs with heartworm infection during treatment with the 2014 American Heartworm Society recommended treatment protocol.

BACKGROUND: Heartworm disease in dogs is a life-threatening parasitic disease. Although adulticide treatment with melarsomine has been proven to be the most effective, complications associated with adulticide treatment are major concerns for clinicians. METHODS: This study evaluated the change in levels of D-dimer, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and cardiac troponin I in 12 dogs with different severities of heartworm infection treated by the American Heartworm Society (AHS) recommended protocol during the treatment period. The serum levels of several markers were measured on the day of diagnosis (T-60), before the initiation of melarsomine therapy (T0), 1 day after the first injection (T1), 1 week after the first injection (T7), 1 month after the first injection (T30), 1 day after the second injection (T31), 1 day after the third injection (T32), 1 week after the third injection (T39), 1 month after the third injection (T62), 2 months after the third injection (T92), 3 months after the third injection (T122), and 6 months after the third injection (T182). RESULTS: The serum levels of these markers were significantly different at the test time point after melarsomine treatment and also differed significantly according to the stage of heartworm disease in the dogs. CONCLUSION: This study found that monitoring of inflammatory and hemostatic markers in dogs with heartworm disease being treated with melarsomine might be beneficial in predicting the clinical outcomes and complications associated with melarsomine treatment.

Catheter-guided percutaneous heartworm removal using a nitinol basket in dogs with caval syndrome.

Carval syndrome is a severe heartworm infection where the worms have migrated to the right atrium and vena cava; this condition is associated with a myriad of clinical signs. Several non-surgical and interventional methods are currently used for mechanical worm removal. However, the success rate and complications related to these methods are heavily dependent on methodology and retrieval devices used. In this study, we developed a catheter-guided heartworm removal method using a retrieval basket that can easily access pulmonary arteries and increase the number of worms removed per procedure. With this technique, we successfully treated four dogs with caval syndrome.