M‐mode Echocardiographic Parameters and Indices in the Normal German Shepherd Dog

Abstract

M-mode echocardiographic measurements were made from 50 healthy German Shepherd dogs (30 males and 20 females). The dogs were awake and unsedated, in right lateral recumbent position. The following parameters were measured on the echocardiographic images: interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole (IVSd), interventricular septal thickness at end-systole (IVSs), left ventricular internal dimension at end-diastole (LVIDd), left ventricular internal dimension at end-systole (LVIDs), left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-diastole (LVPWd), left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-systole (LVPWs), left atrial dimension (LAD), aortic root dimension (AOD), left atrial to aortic root ratio (LAD/AOD), right ventricular internal dimension at end-diastole (RVID), amplitude of mitral valve excursion (DE amplitude), velocity of mitral valve opening (D-E slope), and velocity of mitral valve closure (E-F slope). Fractional shortening (FS) was also calculated. The effect of gender and age on each echocardiographic parameter was analyzed and the relationship between body weight (BW) and each parameter was also investigated. There was a significant relationship between gender and LVPW in systole and diastole and FS. Significant association was also found between BW and IVS, LVID, and LVPW in systole and diastole, FS, LAD, AOD, RVID, DE amplitude, and D-E slope of the mitral valve.

Two-Dimensional- and M-Mode Echocardiographic Measurements and Indices of Cardiac Function in Spanish Colts and Fillies of Different Age

“…In line with previously published data in growing ponies and Thoroughbred foals [14,28] and in dogs of different breeds [2,3,10], several echocardiographic measurements increased progressively with age in our study, although the groups of age between which significant differences existed varied according to the echocardiographic parameter. The most marked increases in the dimensions of chambers (AOD, ABS, AJT and LV), LVFWT and IVST were found between groups B and C for the fillies and between groups D and E for the colts.…”

“…In dogs, several authors reported that gender did not exercise an important effect on echocardiographic parameters [10,29]. By contrast, others presented significant differences linked to the sex in some echocardiographic measurements, although the different BW was not considered [13,18].…”

M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiographic reference values for three Hungarian dog breeds: Hungarian Vizsla, Mudi and Hungarian Greyhound

“…Several echocardiographic parameters correlated positively to body weight in the three breeds included in the present study, in conformity with earlier reports on other populations (Boon et al, 1983;Lombard, 1984;Jacobs and Mahjoob, 1988;Brown et al, 2003;Kayar et al, 2006). Lonsdale et al (1998) demonstrated the effect of training on the IVSs in English Greyhounds, as this value proved to be significantly higher in trained dogs.…”

“…In the study of Lonsdale et al (1998), male Greyhounds in training demonstrated higher values of IVSd, LAD and AOD than females. Kayar et al (2006) also reported a significant relationship between gender and LVPW, both in systole and diastole, as well as between gender and FS%. In the study of Vollmar (1999) on healthy Irish Wolfhounds, significant differences were demonstrated regarding several echocardiographic parameters among different body weight and age groups.…”

Simpson's Method of Discs for Measurement of Echocardiographic End‐Diastolic and End‐Systolic Left Ventricular Volumes: Breed‐Specific Reference Ranges in Boxer Dogs

“…Several studies have described different M‐mode reference ranges for male and female dogs, for example, in Greyhounds, German Shepherds, and Great Danes 12, 22, 23. In this study, both LVIDd and LVIDs were significantly smaller in female dogs, which had lower body weight than male dogs.…”