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Ventricular size increases during growth, but often also due to cardiac disease. This study aims to describe left ventricular dimension interrelations using a representation that is applicable to patients with cardiac disease, and subsequently to statistically study possible age and gender influences in a large population. In retrospect we analyzed echocardiographically obtained diameters of the left ventricle in 442 dogs of various breeds with congenital or acquired heart disease. Also, we compared our findings with published data on humans and other animals. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to assess possible influences of age and gender. A high correlation was found for end-systolic diameter (ESD) versus end-diastolic diameter (EDD): ESD (cm) = -1.01 cm + 0.93[center dot]EDD (cm) with r = 0.94, p < .00001. Next, these patients were categorized into three age groups (divisions at 3 and 7 years). We detected a slight age dependent effect: the regression coefficients for the younger group differed from the two older groups. No significant gender-related influence was detected. The observation of a high correlation for the ESD versus EDD relationship could be confirmed by reanalysis of published data on normal individuals and human patients. The newly described relationship between ESD and EDD applies in particular to cardiac patients. This is a relevant finding, because clinically important indices of ventricular performance generally depend on ESD, EDD or both. Thus, ESD versus EDD offers a convenient framework for studies on cardiac volume regulation and performance in the cardiopathological spectrum, while permitting incorporation of modulating effects related to age.

OBJECTIVE To investigate incidence, clinical features, potential risk factors, and prognostic indicators for aspiration pneumonia in Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Bulldogs. DESIGN Retrospective, observational study. ANIMALS 41 brachycephalic dogs with aspiration pneumonia. PROCEDURES Medical records of a veterinary referral hospital were retrospectively searched to identify Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Bulldogs treated for aspiration pneumonia between 2006 and 2015. Signalment, clinical data, and outcomes were recorded. Variables of interest were analyzed for statistical associations with outcome. Incidence of aspiration pneumonia for the population of interest was compared with that for all other dog breeds and for the general hospital population of dogs during the study. RESULTS 41 of 2,141 (1.91%) dogs of the selected brachycephalic breeds and 396 of 80,137 (0.49%) dogs overall had a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia. Relative risk of the disease in the population of interest was 3.77 times that for all other breeds. Median age at disease onset was greater for Pugs (83 months) than for French Bulldogs (8 months) and Bulldogs (6 months). History of gastrointestinal signs was the most commonly observed preidentified risk factor (27/41 [66%]) in these breeds. Neurologic disease was significantly more common in Pugs than in French Bulldogs and Bulldogs. On univariate analysis, increased age, male sex, obtundation, hypoalbuminemia, azotemia, and high liver enzyme activities were associated with nonsurvival; on logistic regression, increased age was associated with nonsurvival. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Age at onset and presence of other risk factors for aspiration pneumonia may vary among brachycephalic dog breeds. Prospective studies are needed to determine common risk factors and prognostic indicators for aspiration pneumonia in the larger population of brachycephalic dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English Bulldogs have been reported to demonstrate abnormal growth and development of the nasal turbinates, which contribute to an increase in airway resistance and hence clinical signs of brachycephalic airway syndrome. The purpose of this prospective, cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence and severity of caudal aberrant turbinate protrusion via CT studies of English Bulldogs with, according to the owners, none or minimal clinical signs of brachycephalic airway syndrome. An additional objective was to propose a classification scheme for describing the degree of caudal aberrant turbinate protrusion in English Bulldogs and to apply this scheme in assessing the effect of gender, weight, and age on prevalence and severity of turbinate protrusion. The nasal cavities of 40 clinically healthy English Bulldogs were examined. The prevalence of caudal aberrant turbinates in this group was 100%. Using our proposed classification scheme, Grade 1 (minimal) was detected in 7 of 40 (17.5%), Grade 2 (mild) in 28 of 40 (70%), and Grade 3 (moderate) in 5 of 40 (12.5%) English Bulldogs. No significant effect of gender, weight, and age on degree of protrusion was found. In conclusion, this study identified minimal to moderate protrusion of caudal aberrant turbinates toward the nasopharynx in all the sampled English Bulldogs, despite the absence of clinical signs of brachycephalic airway syndrome., (© 2015 American College of Veterinary Radiology.)