CLINICAL AND ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN SUSPECTED VIRAL MYOCARDITIS OF PUPS |
| |
Authors: | WF Robinson CRR Huxtable DA Pass J McC Howell |
| |
Institution: | Division of Veterinary Biology, School of Veterinary Studies, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6153 |
| |
Abstract: | Surviving puppies from three separate litters in which deaths had occurred from suspected viral myocarditis were examined clinically and electrocardiographically. Of 11 puppies examined, 5 subsequently died or were euthanised within 11 days of initial examination. ECG changes present in these puppies for 1 to 11 days prior to death were small R waves (less than 0.4 mV in lead II), S-T segment elevation, QRS notching and paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia (PVT). No clinical signs referable to the ECG changes were present before the terminal episodes of apparent sudden death or death following a brief period of dyspnoea. Multifocial subacute myocarditis was present on post-mortem examination. A sixth puppy with small R waves remained clinically normal for a further 4 weeks. It then developed severe dyspnoea which persisted for 24 hours before euthanasia. Extensive fibrosis of the left ventricle was present on post-mortem examination. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|