Background

Breed-specific reference intervals improve echocardiographic interpretation and thereby reduce misdiagnoses, especially in athletic breeds.

Objectives

The objectives of the study were to examine transthoracic echocardiographic values in healthy adult English setter dogs and determine the effects of activity, body weight, sex and age on these values.

Animals, materials and methods

One hundred and one adult English setter dogs, recruited from local veterinary clinics and from the Norwegian English setter club, underwent routine transthoracic echocardiography. The population was stratified into two groups based on the reported level of activity. The effects of activity level, body weight, sex and age on echocardiographic variables were examined. Results were compared with published data from other breeds and from a pre-existing species-wide allometric model.

Results

Of the 100 dogs between 19 months and ten years of age included in the study, 72 were reported as very active and 28 as less active. Echocardiographic intervals were calculated for body size–independent echocardiographic variables. The upper limits of the intervals for left-atrial-to-aortic ratios and normalised left ventricular volumes exceeded those of various, previously published studies of other breeds. Normalised left ventricular dimensions exceeded published allometric 95^th percentile upper reference values in 13% of dogs in diastole and 32% of dogs in systole. More active dogs had larger cardiac dimensions than less active dogs; however, the activity level did not predict echocardiographic variables when included in a multiple regression model.

Conclusions

The study provides breed specific transthoracic echocardiographic values for English setter dogs, thereby contributing to improve diagnostic assessment of cardiac health in this breed.

中文翻译：

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活动、体重、性别和年龄对英国二传犬超声心动图值的影响

背景

品种特定的参考区间可改善超声心动图的解释，从而减少误诊，尤其是在运动品种中。

目标

该研究的目的是检查健康成年英国二传犬的经胸超声心动图值，并确定活动、体重、性别和年龄对这些值的影响。

动物、材料和方法

One hundred and one adult English setter dogs, recruited from local veterinary clinics and from the Norwegian English setter club, underwent routine transthoracic echocardiography. The population was stratified into two groups based on the reported level of activity. The effects of activity level, body weight, sex and age on echocardiographic variables were examined. Results were compared with published data from other breeds and from a pre-existing species-wide allometric model.

Results

Of the 100 dogs between 19 months and ten years of age included in the study, 72 were reported as very active and 28 as less active. Echocardiographic intervals were calculated for body size–independent echocardiographic variables. The upper limits of the intervals for left-atrial-to-aortic ratios and normalised left ventricular volumes exceeded those of various, previously published studies of other breeds. Normalised left ventricular dimensions exceeded published allometric 95^th percentile upper reference values in 13% of dogs in diastole and 32% of dogs in systole. More active dogs had larger cardiac dimensions than less active dogs; however, the activity level did not predict echocardiographic variables when included in a multiple regression model.

Conclusions

该研究为英国二传犬提供了特定品种的经胸超声心动图值，从而有助于改善对该品种心脏健康的诊断评估。