Clinico-biochemical, diagnostic and therapeutic studies in canine cardiac arrhythmia
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Date
2005-01
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
A clinical survey was aimed for identifying the prevalence of cardiac arrhythmia among the canines in some parts of India. Overall 6.6% prevalence of cardiac arrhythmia was recorded in present clinical survey. Area wise, crime branch police dogs Delhi (34.9%) showed highest prevalence while Pantnagar showed lowest prevalence (4.7%). In other areas, prevalence rate was 7.0%, 5.9% and 5.0% in Mathura, Indore and Gwalior, respectively. In age and sex wise prevalence, cardiac arrhythmia was seen mainly in dogs aged two to six years (10.6%). Breed and sex wise, highest prevalence was in Labrador (11%). Overall females are more prone for cardiac arrhythmia as compared to males. Tachyarrhythmia (51.7%) was most commonly observed arrhythmia in canines followed by bradyarrhythmia (39.6%) and arrhythmia with normal heart rate (8.7%) was next in sequence of occurrence.
Exercise intolerance, persistent nocturnal coughing, upright posture, dyspnoea and ascites were important clinical signs in cardiac arrhythmia. Among the various diagnostic procedures adopted in present study, auscultation proved to be the most valuable means of diagnosing heart diseases.
ECG detected various abnormalities, which could not be detected by physical examination alone. Amplitude of P and R waves increased as per increased heart rate, while no significant alteration was reported in T wave as heart rate changes. P-R and Q-T intervals were inversely proportional to the heart rate. Radiography was found to be as useful as ECG in confirmatory diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia.
Haematological profile except haemoglobin did not show any significant alteration in cardiac arrhythmia. Increased levels of serum sodium and calcium and low levels of potassium and magnesium were found in tachyarrhythmia whereas increased level of sodium, potassium and magnesium were found in bradyarrhythmia.
There was significant elevation of blood glucose, total protein, cholesterol and triglycerides in tachyarrhythmia while no significant alteration of these was noticed in bradyarrhythmia. AST, CK and LDH activities were found high in tachyarrhythmia while CK activity suppressed in bradyarrhythmia.
Antiarrhythmic medicine atenolol and verapamil was effective in cases of tachyarrhythmia. Verapamil was found very effective in severe tachyarrhythmia (> 190 beats/min) and atenolol in mild types of tachyarrhythmia. In respect to therapeutic management of bradyarrhythmia, terbutaline was found superior in comparison to theophylline + etophylline combination.
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