DVM,MS Bon Animal Medical Center / Jeonbuk National University Suwon, Kyonggi-do, Republic of Korea
Abstract:
Background: Pericardial effusion (PE) arises from various etiologies. Previous studies have predominantly focused on large-breed dogs, with limited research on PE in small breeds. Hypothesis/
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the causes of PE in small-breed dogs and compare clinical characteristics, echocardiographic findings, and survival times across different etiologies. Animals: Thirty-two client-owned small-breed dogs (≤10 kg) diagnosed with PE, drawn from a referral hospital population between 2021 and 2024, were retrospectively reviewed
Methods: This retrospective case series analyzed clinical, echocardiographic, and survival data. Dogs were categorized into three groups based on etiology: cardiogenic, neoplastic, and idiopathic. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis compared survival times among the three groups. Additionally, clinical and echocardiographic parameters were compared between cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic groups
Results: Cardiogenic PE accounted for 37.5% (12/32) of cases, neoplastic 46.9% (15/32), and idiopathic 15.6% (5/32). Among cardiogenic cases, 8 dogs were diagnosed with left atrial rupture and 4 with right-sided congestive heart failure. All cardiogenic cases survived to hospital discharge, with the shortest post-discharge survival time being 6 days. Mean survival times were 31.5 days (cardiogenic), 120 days (neoplastic), and 210 days (idiopathic), with significant differences among groups (log-rank P value <.05). Body weight, sex, age, blood pressure, lactate levels, syncope episodes, vomiting episodes, and echocardiographic findings were compared between cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic cases. Among echocardiographic findings, the LA/Ao ratio and LVIDDN showed statistically significant differences between the two groups Conclusions and Clinical Importance Cardiogenic PE represents a notable proportion of PE cases in small-breed dogs, including both left atrial rupture and right-sided congestive heart failure. While all cardiogenic cases survived hospitalization, their overall survival times remained significantly shorter compared to other groups. These findings highlight the need for echocardiographic evaluation to better consider cardiogenic causes and guide treatment in small-breed dogs.
