Congenital Heart Disease in Dogs: A Retrospective Study of 95 Cases

Abstract

The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of congenital heart diseases in dogs attending 2 veterinary hospitals in Brazil and to identify possible associations between these conditions and epidemiological characteristics.A retrospective study was carried out in the cardiology sections of 2 veterinary hospitals during a period of 70 months from January 2012 and October 2017.Of a total of 6710 dogs that attended the cardiology sections of the hospitals, 109 congenital heart diseases were identified in 95 patients, representing a prevalence of 1.6%. Findings consistent with previous literature included subaortic stenosis and pulmonic stenosis as the most commonly diagnosed conditions, in addition to a higher predisposition of females to patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). In contrast, the novel findings included a higher prevalence of atrial septal defect and a lower prevalence of patent ductus arteriosus. The majority of the animals included were over 1 year of age at the time of diagnosis (67%) especially in the subaortic stenosis group. Also, a predisposition of the Maltese to ventricular septal defect was observed.The information obtained in the present study contributes to research that describes epidemiological characteristics of dogs with congenital heart disease in a previously unreported location.