Comprehensive Cardiac Assessment in Dogs using Electrocardiography, Echocardiography and Cardiac Biomarkers

Cardiac diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs and require timely diagnosis for effective clinical management. A total of 52 dogs with clinical suspicion of cardiac disease were examined and compared with six apparently healthy control dogs at Veterinary Clinical Complex, Kamdhenu University, Navsari, Gujarat. Diagnosis was established using ECG and echocardiography and supported by haemato-biochemical analysis and assessment of cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was the most prevalent cardiac disorder (46.15%), followed by mitral valve disease (MVD) (38.46%), pericardial effusion (11.53%), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (3.84%). The most common clinical signs were exercise intolerance (92.30%), dyspnea (88.46%), and weakness (86.53%). ECG revealed atrial fibrillation (30.76%) and sinus tachycardia (25.00%) as the predominant rhythm abnormalities. Echocardiography demonstrated significant ventricular dilatation, increased E-point to septal separation, and reduced ejection fraction and fractional shortening in DCM, whereas MVD was characterized by marked left atrial enlargement and an increased left atrial-to-aortic root ratio. Haematological findings revealed mild anaemia, neutrophilia, and lymphopenia, while biochemical alterations were characterized by increased BUN and reduced serum albumin concentrations. Cardiac biomarkers showed marked diagnostic value, with elevated NT-proBNP concentrations and positive cTnI results in 70% of affected dogs. The findings indicate that ECG, echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers are valuable complementary tools for the accurate diagnosis and assessment of canine cardiac diseases.