Clinical characteristics of dogs with pericardial pathologies accompanied by pericardial effusions

Pericardial effusion is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity, which can lead to cardiac tamponade, an acute life–threatening condition of the animal. Cardiac tamponade may be manifested by severe weakness, hypotension and secondary sinus tachycardia. Depending on the causes of pericardial disease and pericardial effusion, the clinical signs can vary greatly from the rate of its accumulation. The purpose of this work is to systematize the clinical signs in dogs with pericardial diseases accompanied by pericardial effusions. All animals were examined according to a technique including anamnesis collection, clinical examination of the patient, echocardiography, electrocardiography, chest X-ray, chest and abdominal ultrasonography for the presence of effusion (if necessary), cytology of effusion, histology of pathological material obtained intraoperatively (if necessary). Clinical signs of pericardial effusion in dogs were more dependent on the presence of cardiac tamponade, the severity of the process and the causes of its occurrence. The most common symptoms were weakness, shortness of breath, fainting, ascites and hydrothorax. Rare symptoms such as vomiting (9%), which was observed within 48 hours before confirmation of pericardial effusion, and vocalization (3%) with severe weakness/fainting, which may indicate pain, require further observation.