Assessing Cardiomegaly in Anatolian Shepherd Dogs Utilizing Cardio-Thoracic Ratio (Ctr) and Vertebral Heart Score (Vhs)

The study aimed to assess the diagnostic efficacy and discriminative ability of a method for calculating the Cardiothoracic Ratio (CTR) on X-rays, utilizing the Vertebral Heart Scale (VHS) as the standard radiographic technique for heart size in dogs, distinguishing between normal heart size and cardiomegaly. The study comprised 51 local Anatolian dogs, collected at Sulaymaniyah province, Iraq, consisting of 21 females and 30 males aged between 1 and 5 years. Physical, radiographic, and electrocardiographic examinations were conducted, utilizing 102 radiographs to assess CTR and compare it with the VHS. A significant correlation existed between VHS and CTR for the entire study cohort (r²=0.764, p<0.01). The mean (±SD) CTR on lateral radiographs of normal dogs was 28.41% ±0.71% at the points of peak inspiration and 30.67% ±1.10% at the peak of expiration. The cutoff value of the CTR for diagnosing cardiomegaly on lateral radiographs was 29.42% (inspiration) and 32.21% (expiration). It is concluded that CTR measurements provide a clinically useful technique for assessing heart size and can discriminate between normal heart size and cardiomegaly in Anatolian shepherd dogs. for ill dogs.