Evaluation of cardiac functions by echocardiography in dogs with parvoviral enteritis

Canine Parvovirus (CPV) is an important pathogen in dogs worldwide. The disease causes sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in puppies. Sepsis and SIRS affect cardiac functions by various mechanisms. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate cardiac functions with echocardiography to determine myocardial damage, which is one of the important causes of death in puppies with parvoviral enteritis. In this study, 16 owned puppies with CPV positive (Group A) and 16 healthy owned puppies (Group B) with normal clinical and hematological findings, who were brought to Ankara University Veterinary Faculty Animal Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, were included. Infected puppies were treated symptomatically. Blood sample was taken once from the dogs in Group A and Group B, and whole blood analysis was performed. SIRS criteria (body temperature (ºC), heart and respiratory frequency (min), total leukocyte count (x109/l) and neutrophil rate (%)) were evaluated in dogs in group A. Standard echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DBTE) were performed to the puppies in both groups. Images were recorded and analyzed offline to determine left ventricular radial strain and strain rate with 2DBTE. When the radial strain and strain rate of Group A and Group B were compared, no statistically significant difference was found. However, it was determined that animals that died in Group A had lower radial strain values compared to healthy animals. Ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) determined by standard echocardiography did not differ between the groups. It was concluded that left ventricular functions are affected in puppies with parvoviral enteritis with sepsis and SIRS, and the 2DBTE method should be used together with standard echocardiography in the evaluation of these functions.