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Background: Associations of diet with dilated cardiomyopathy are under investigation. Objectives: That cardiac assessment would show abnormalities in healthy dogs eating grain-free (GF) diets or diets with Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-listed ingredients of concern (peas, lentils, or potatoes) as top 10 ingredients (FDA-PLP), but not in dogs eating grain-inclusive (GI) diets or diets without FDA-listed ingredients of concern (PLP) in the top 10 ingredients (NoFDA-PLP). Animals: One hundred eighty-eight healthy Doberman Pinschers, Golden Retrievers, Miniature Schnauzers, and Whippets. Methods: This study was an observational cross-sectional study. Echocardiograms, cardiac biomarkers, and blood and plasma taurine concentrations were compared between dogs eating GF (n = 26) and GI (n = 162) diets, and between FDA-PLP (n = 39) and NoFDA-PLP (n = 149) diets, controlling for age and breed. Demographic characteristics, murmurs, genetic status, and ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) during examination were compared between dogs eating different diet types. Results: No differences in echocardiographic variables, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide or whole blood taurine were noted between dogs eating different diet types. Dogs eating GF diets had higher median high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) (GF 0.076 ng/mL [Interquartile range (IQR), 0.028-0.156] vs. GI 0.048 [IQR, 0.0026-0.080]; P < .001) and higher median plasma taurine (GF 125 nmol/mL [IQR, 101-148] vs GI 104 [IQR, 86-123]; P = .02) than dogs eating GI diets. Dogs eating FDA-PLP diets had higher median hs-cTnI (0.059 ng/mL [IQR, 0.028-0.122]) than dogs eating NoFDA-PLP diets (0.048 [IQR, 0.025-0.085]; P = .006). A greater Abbreviations: EF, ejection fraction; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; FDA-PLP, diets with FDA-listed ingredients of concern (peas, lentils, potatoes) in the top 10 ingredients; FS, fractional shortening; GF, grain free; GI, grain inclusive; hs-cTnI, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I; LA/Ao, left atrial to aortic diameter; LV, left ventricular; LVIDdN, normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole; LVIDsN, normalized left ventricular internal diameter in systole; LVVd/m 2 , left ventricular volume in diastole indexed to body surface area; LVVs/m 2 , left ventricular volume in systole indexed to body surface area; nDCM, nutritional dilated cardiomyopathy; NoFDA-PLP, diets without FDA-listed ingredients of concern (peas, lentils, potatoes) in the top 10 ingredients; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro B-type natiuretic peptide; PLP, peas, lentils, potatoes.

Background: Refractory congestive heart failure (CHF) and associated diuretic resistance are not well defined.Objectives: To characterize renal function, electrolyte concentrations, indices of diuretic efficacy, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation in dogs with naturally occurring heart disease (HD) in American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine stages B1, B2, C, and D and to determine their usefulness in defining HD stages.Animals: Group 1:149 dogs with HD stages B1, B2, C, and D. Group 2:22 dogs with HD stages C and D.Methods: Group 1: Renal parameters, serum and urine electrolyte and diuretic concentrations, and urine aldosterone concentrations were measured. Medication dosages and measured variables were compared among stages. Correlation of furosemide dosages to serum concentrations was explored. Group 2: Angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and RAAS components were measured and compared among CHF stages.Results: Serum chloride concentration was the best differentiator of HD stage. Furosemide PO dosages (≤6 mg/kg/day) were weakly correlated with serum furosemide concentrations, whereas higher dosages were not significantly correlated.Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor dosage and RAAS inhibition were greater in stage D, compared to stage C dogs.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Hypochloremia is a useful marker for stage D HD in dogs. Poor furosemide dosage correlation to serum concentration may indicate variable and poor absorption, especially at higher dosages, advanced disease, or both.A small number of stage D dogs met proposed criteria for diuretic resistance. Greater RAAS inhibition in stage D versus stage C indicates effectiveness of RAASsuppressive treatments in this group of dogs with refractory CHF.

Beginning in the early 2000s, the number of dogs with taurine deficiency and DCM subjectively appeared to decrease. Recently, however, we have heard from veterinary cardiologists who had an impression that they were diagnosing DCM in Golden Retrievers at higher rates than expected and in dogs of breeds

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a myocardial polypeptide, is a highly sensitive and specific biomarker of myocardial injury in people and dogs. The structure of cTnI is highly conserved across species, and equine myocardium has high reactivity with human immunoassays. The purpose of this study was to describe cTnI concentrations in normal pastured and race-training Thoroughbred horses. Ten horses on pasture and 10 horses in race training were studied. Horses were considered normal on the basis of physical examination, training performance, electrocardiography (ECG), and echocardiography. Serum cTnI concentrations were determined with a colorimetric immunoassay. The assay has an analytical sensitivity of 0.04 ng/mL. Serum cTnI concentrations in race-training horses were not significantly different from those of pastured horses. When groups were combined, mean cTnI concentration (+/- SD) was 0.047 +/- 0.085 ng/mL. and the median was 0 (range, 0-0.35 ng/mL). The 90th percentile for both groups combined was 0.11 ng/mL. This study establishes a preliminary reference range for serum cTnI in normal Thoroughbred horses.

Background Recent studies have investigated dogs with presumed diet‐associated dilated cardiomyopathy (daDCM), but prospective studies of multiple breeds are needed. Hypothesis/Objectives To evaluate baseline features and serial changes in echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers in dogs with DCM eating nontraditional diets (NTDs) or traditional diets (TDs), and in dogs with subclinical cardiac abnormalities (SCA) eating NTD. Animals Sixty dogs with DCM (NTD, n = 51; TDs, n = 9) and 16 dogs with SCA eating NTDs. Methods Echocardiography, electrocardiography, and measurement of taurine, cardiac troponin I, and N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide were performed in dogs with DCM or SCA. Diets were changed for all dogs, taurine was supplemented in most, and echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers were reassessed (3, 6, and 9 months). Results At enrollment, there were few differences between dogs with DCM eating NTDs or TDs; none had low plasma or whole blood taurine concentrations. Improvement in fractional shortening over time was significantly associated with previous consumption of a NTD, even after adjustment for other variables (P = .005). Median survival time for dogs with DCM was 611 days (range, 2‐940 days) for the NTD group and 161 days (range, 12‐669 days) for the TD group (P = .21). Sudden death was the most common cause of death in both diet groups. Dogs with SCA also had significant echocardiographic improvements over time. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Dogs with DCM or SCA previously eating NTDs had small, yet significant improvements in echocardiographic parameters after diet changes.

These results indicated that QoL is more important to owners of cats with heart disease than longevity. The various priorities and concerns of cat owners should be taken into account in order to provide optimal care.