Cardiovascular effects of intravenous gadolinium administration to anaesthetized dogs undergoing magnetic resonance imaging

Objective To assess changes in heart rate and arterial blood pressure following intravenous (IV) gadolinium‐based contrast media administration to sevoflurane‐anaesthetized dogs undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Study design Prospective clinical study. Animals Fifty client‐owned dogs (31 male, 19 female; aged 6–156 months; weighing 4.2–45.4 kg; ASA 2–3). Methods Heart rate and oscillometric blood pressures (systolic, mean and diastolic) were recorded at 10 minutes, 5 minutes and immediately pre‐administration of IV gadolinium contrast medium (time 0), then at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 minutes post‐gadolinium administration. Repeated measures anova was used to compare cardiovascular variables pre and post‐gadolinium administration. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results There were no significant changes in cardiovascular variables following the IV administration of gadolinium. Conclusions and clinical relevance Administration IV of gadolinium‐based contrast media was not associated with adverse cardiovascular effects in these sevoflurane‐anaesthetized dogs undergoing MRI.