Abstract
BackgroundThe Evaluation of pimobendan in dogs with cardiomegaly caused by preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease (EPIC) study monitored dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) as they developed congestive heart failure (CHF).ObjectivesTo describe the changes in clinical and radiographic variables occurring as dogs with MMVD and cardiomegaly develop CHF, compared to similar dogs that do not develop CHF.AnimalsOne hundred and thirty‐five, and 73 dogs that did or did not develop CHF, respectively.Materials and methodsThe following variables were evaluated in 2 groups of dogs (dogs that did or did not develop CHF): Heart rate (HR), clinic respiratory rate (RR), home‐measured resting respiratory rate (RRR), rectal temperature (RT), body weight (BW), and vertebral heart sum (VHS). Absolute value and rate of change of each variable were calculated for each day a dog was in study. Daily means were calculated and plotted against time. The onset of CHF or last visit before leaving the study were set as reference time points.ResultsThe most extreme values and rate of change occurred in variables immediately before onset of CHF. Vertebral heart sum increased earliest. Heart rate, RR, and RRR also increased. Rectal temperature and BW decreased. Increases in RR and RRR were most extreme and occurred immediately before CHF.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceDogs with MMVD and cardiomegaly experience increases in HR, RR, RRR, and VHS, and decreases in BW and RT as they develop CHF. The variables with highest absolute change and rate of change were RR and RRR. These findings reinforce the value of RR and RRR as indicators of impending or incipient CHF.
Highlights
The “Evaluation of pimobendan in dogs with cardiomegaly caused by preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease” (EPIC) study was a multicenter, blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of pimobendan in delaying the onset of clinical signs in dogs with cardiac enlargement secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD)
Our study showed that all evaluated variables (HR, respiratory rate (RR), respiratory rate (RRR), rectal temperature (RT), body weight (BW) and vertebral heart sum (VHS)) changed in MMVD stage B2 dogs as they developed congestive heart failure (CHF)
Heart rate previously has been shown to increase over time in MMVD dogs as they progress into CHF.[6,16]
Summary
The “Evaluation of pimobendan in dogs with cardiomegaly caused by preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease” (EPIC) study was a multicenter, blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of pimobendan in delaying the onset of clinical signs in dogs with cardiac enlargement secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Previous studies have identified the absolute changes in clinical, radiographic, and echocardiographic variables in patients with progressive MMVD, but the time course over which these changes occur. The Evaluation of pimobendan in dogs with cardiomegaly caused by preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease (EPIC) study monitored dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) as they developed congestive heart failure (CHF). Materials and methods: The following variables were evaluated in 2 groups of dogs (dogs that did or did not develop CHF): Heart rate (HR), clinic respiratory rate (RR), home-measured resting respiratory rate (RRR), rectal temperature (RT), body weight (BW), and vertebral heart sum (VHS). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Dogs with MMVD and cardiomegaly experience increases in HR, RR, RRR, and VHS, and decreases in BW and RT as they develop CHF. The variables with highest absolute change and rate of change were
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