IntroductionRisk factors for severe disease in Boxer dogs with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) are not well understood. This study’s objective was to determine whether Striatin genotype or canine vector borne pathogen (CVBP) exposure/infection in Boxer dogs with ARVC was associated with disease severity or survival. AnimalsSixty-four client-owned, adult Boxer dogs with ARVC. Materials and MethodsProspective descriptive study. Disease severity was determined by echocardiography and Holter monitoring. Potential risk factors included CVBP exposure/infection (Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp.) and Striatin genotype. ResultsMedian survival time after enrollment was 270 days (95% confidence interval (CI) 226-798 days), and median age at time of death or censoring was 11 years (95% CI 10.3-11.7 years). Striatin mutation genotype results included 31 homozygous negative, 26 heterozygous and seven homozygous positive. Ten Boxer dogs had exposure to Bartonella spp., four to Rickettsia, two to Ehrlichia spp., one to Anaplasma spp.. Striatin homozygous positive Boxer dogs had a shorter median survival time (93 days vs. 373 days for heterozygous [P=0.010] and 214 days for homozygous negative [P=0.036]). Exposure/infection to CVBP was not associated with median survival time or age at time of death. ConclusionsStriatin genotype screening can be considered for prognostic information. Exposure/infection to CVBP appears unlikely to influence survival time for Boxer dogs with ARVC.