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BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most prevalent heart disorder in cats and principal cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Yet, the impact of preclinical disease is unresolved.HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Observational study to characterize cardiovascular morbidity and survival in cats with preclinical nonobstructive (HCM) and obstructive (HOCM) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and in apparently healthy cats (AH).ANIMALS: One thousand seven hundred and thirty client-owned cats (430 preclinical HCM; 578 preclinical HOCM; 722 AH).METHODS: Retrospective multicenter, longitudinal, cohort study. Cats from 21 countries were followed through medical record review and owner or referring veterinarian interviews. Data were analyzed to compare long-term outcomes, incidence, and risk for congestive heart failure (CHF), arterial thromboembolism (ATE), and cardiovascular death.RESULTS: During the study period, CHF, ATE, or both occurred in 30.5% and cardiovascular death in 27.9% of 1008 HCM/HOCM cats. Risk assessed at 1, 5, and 10 years after study entry was 7.0%/3.5%, 19.9%/9.7%, and 23.9%/11.3% for CHF/ATE, and 6.7%, 22.8%, and 28.3% for cardiovascular death, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between HOCM compared with HCM for cardiovascular morbidity or mortality, time from diagnosis to development of morbidity, or cardiovascular survival. Cats that developed cardiovascular morbidity had short survival (mean ± standard deviation, 1.3 ± 1.7 years). Overall, prolonged longevity was recorded in a minority of preclinical HCM/HOCM cats with 10% reaching 9-15 years.CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Preclinical HCM/HOCM is a global health problem of cats that carries substantial risk for CHF, ATE, and cardiovascular death. This finding underscores the need to identify therapies and monitoring strategies that decrease morbidity and mortality.

Background Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is one of the most common congenital heart defects in dogs. Advanced echocardiographic techniques such as speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) have not been extensively used to evaluate cardiac function in affected dogs. Hypothesis Advanced echocardiographic techniques are more sensitive than standard echocardiographic techniques in analyzing systolic function in dogs with PDA. Animals Forty-four client-owned dogs: 34 dogs with PDA (preoperative evaluation) and 10 healthy sex- and weight-matched controls. Methods Prospective study. Dogs were recruited over a 2-year period. Complete echocardiographic evaluation was performed, including conventional (end-diastolic volumes indexed to body surface area in B and M-mode [EDVIB/M], end-systolic volumes indexed to body surface area in B and M-mode [ESVIB/M], allometric scaling in diastole and systole [AlloD/S], pulmonary flow to systemic flow [Qp/Qs], ejection fraction [EF] and fractional shortening [FS]) and speckle-tracking echocardiography ([STE]: global longitudinal, radial and circumferential strain [S] and strain rate [SR]). Results Dogs with PDA had significantly different EDVIB/M, ESVIB/M, AlloD/S, Qp/Qs and all STE-derived parameters (global longitudinal S and SR, global circumferential S and SR, global radial S and SR)compared to healthy dogs. No correlation was found between standard techniques (EDVIB/M, ESVIB/M, AlloD/S, Qp/Qs) and STE-derived parameters (global longitudinal, circumferential and radial S and SR). Conclusion and Clinical Importance Conventional parameters routinely used to assess systolic function (EF and FS) were not different between the groups; STE-derived parameters identified subtle changes in cardiac systolic function and contractility between the 2 groups of dogs. Based on these findings, STE may be a more appropriate tool to assess cardiac contractility in dogs with PDA.

Background Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is 1 of the most common congenital heart defects in dogs and percutaneous closure is effective in achieving ductal closure; PDA closure is associated with abrupt hemodynamic changes. Hypothesis A marked decrease in standard parameters of systolic function as assessed by M- or B-mode echocardiography after PDA closure was identified in previous studies. Speckle tracking echocardiography can provide further insight into the effect of PDA closure on cardiac mechanics in dogs affected by PDA. Animals Twenty-five client-owned dogs with PDA. Methods Prospective study. Dogs were recruited over a 2-year period. Complete echocardiographic evaluation was performed before and 24 hours after PDA closure, including standard (end-diastolic volumes indexed to body surface area in B- and M-mode [EDVIB/M], end-systolic volumes indexed to body surface area in B- and M-mode [ESVIB/M], allometric scaling in diastole [AlloD] and systole [AlloS], pulmonary flow to systemic flow [Qs/Qp], ejection fraction [EF], and fractional shortening [FS]), and advanced speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE): global longitudinal, radial, circumferential and transverse strain (S), and strain rate (SR). Results Patent ductus arteriosus closure was associated with statistically significant decreases in EDVIM/B and ESVIM/B, AlloD and AlloS, SI, EF, and FS. A statistically significant decrease in the absolute values of radial, transverse, and circumferential S and SR was observed, whereas longitudinal S and SR did not change significantly. Conclusion and Clinical Importance Patent ductus arteriosus closure by percutaneous approach is associated with marked decreases of conventional echocardiographic parameters as a result of the changes in loading conditions, but no evidence of systolic dysfunction was identified by means of STE, as none of the S and SR values were below reference ranges. In the short term, contractility is enhanced in the long axis (long S/SR values were not statistically different before and after closure) and decreases to normal values in short axis (circumferential, radial, and transversal S/SR decreased to normal reference range).

Background Epidemiologic knowledge regarding noncardiovascular and all‐cause mortality in apparently healthy cats (AH) and cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (pHCM) is limited, hindering development of evidence‐based healthcare guidelines. Objectives To characterize/compare incidence rates, risk, and survival associated with noncardiovascular and all‐cause mortality in AH and pHCM cats. Animals A total of 1730 client‐owned cats (722 AH, 1008 pHCM) from 21 countries. Methods Retrospective, multicenter, longitudinal, cohort study. Long‐term health data were extracted by medical record review and owner/referring veterinarian interviews. Results Noncardiovascular death occurred in 534 (30.9%) of 1730 cats observed up to 15.2 years. Proportion of noncardiovascular death did not differ significantly between cats that at study enrollment were AH or had pHCM (P = .48). Cancer, chronic kidney disease, and conditions characterized by chronic weight‐loss‐vomiting‐diarrhea‐anorexia were the most frequently recorded noncardiovascular causes of death. Incidence rates/risk of noncardiac death increased with age in AH and pHCM. All‐cause death proportions were greater in pHCM than AH (65% versus 40%, respectively; P

Background Quantitative and semiquantitative methods have been proposed for the assessment of MR severity, and though all are associated with limitations. Measurement of vena contracta width (VCW) has been used in clinical practice. Objective To measure the VCW in dogs with different levels of MR severity. Animals Two hundred and seventy‐nine dogs were classified according to 5 levels of MR severity. Methods This was a retrospective study. EROA and regurgitant volume calculated by the PISA method, were measured and indexed to BSA. Descriptive statistics were calculated for VCW and VCW index for all categories of MR severity. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (ρs) were calculated to compare the results of the different methods (VCW and VCW index vs RV PISA, RV PISA index, EROA, EROA index), and between VCW and VCW index versus MR severity. Results All Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were significant (P

Background: Subaortic stenosis (SAS) is a common congenital heart disease in Boxers. Doppler-derived aortic peakvelocity (AoPV) is a diagnostic criterion for the disease.Objectives: To investigate the influence of emotional stress during echocardiographic examination on AoPV in normaland SAS-affected Boxers. To evaluate the effects of aortic root diameters on AoPV in normal Boxers.Dogs: Two hundred and fifteen normal and 19 SAS-affected Boxers.Methods: The AoPV was recorded at the beginning of echocardiographic examination (T0), and when the emotionalstress of the dog was assumed to decrease based on behavioral parameters and heart rate (T1). AoPV0–AoPV1 was calcu-lated. In normal dogs, stroke volume index was calculated at T0 and T1. Aortic root diameters were measured and theirrelationship with AoPV and AoPV0–AoPV1 was evaluated.Results: In normal dogs, AoPV was higher at T0 (median, 1.95 m/s; range, 1.60–2.50 m/s) than at T1 (median, 1.76 m/s; range, 1.40–2.20 m/s; P < .0001; reduction 9.2%). The stroke volume index at T0 also was greater than at T1(P < .0001). Weak negative correlations were detected between aortic root size and aortic velocities. In SAS-affected dogs,AoPV0 was higher than AoPV1 (P < .0001; reduction 7.3%).Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Aortic peak velocity was affected by emotional stress during echocardiographicexamination both in SAS-affected and normal Boxers. In normal Boxers, aortic root size weakly affected AoPVs, but didnot affect AoPV0–AoPV1. Stroke volume seems to play a major role in stress-related AoPV increases in normal Boxers.Emotional stress should be taken into account when screening for SAS in the Boxer breed.Key words: Cardiology; Congenital heart disease; Echocardiography; Subaortic stenosis.