Thoracic Vertebral Length-to-Height Ratio, a Promising Parameter to Predict the Vertebral Heart Score in Normal Welsh Corgi Pembroke Dogs

Abstract

The vertebral heart score (VHS) is the sum of the ratio of the cardiac dimensions to the number of thoracic vertebrae, starting from the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4) to the intervertebral disk space (IVS). Breed-specific VHSs, in most cases, were different from the original reference value. Characteristics of the thoracic vertebrae and IVS may influence this variation. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of the T4 and IVS on the thoracic radiographs of Corgis in comparison with other small-to-medium breed dogs to evaluate the Corgi-specific VHSs in healthy dogs. The ratio of the T4’s length/height (T4L/H) was significantly different among dog breeds but not the IVS between the T4 and T5. The T4L/H was highest in the Shih Tzu and lowest in Beagle dogs. The Corgi-specific VHS obtained from the ventrodorsal radiograph was significantly higher than that from the dorsoventral radiograph, but a significant difference was not observed between the right and left lateral radiographs. In contrast, the Corgi-specific VHS derived from the right lateral thoracic radiograph was significantly lower than the reference value. This may be correlated with the characteristics of the thoracic vertebrae of Corgis, which were slightly higher than those of the other breeds.

The Differences in Radiographic Vertebral Size in Dogs with Different Chest and Skull Types

“…Considering the effect of sex on vertebral parameters, our results showed that sex did not affect the vertebral length, height, and length/height ratio of T4, L2, L5, and L7. Our results are consistent with previous results reported in dogs showing that there is no significant difference in the T4 length and height between the sexes [23]. However, these results are in contrast to those found in humans [24], namely that males have an increased vertebral height compared to women [24].…”