| dc.description.abstract | The aim of this study was to establish normal reference echocardiographic values for the Hungarian Puli canine breed, and to determine the effect of body weight, age and gender on cardiac parameters by using M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography. We examined 27 clinically healthy adult dogs (14 male, 13 female) weighing 6 kg to 22 kg and their ages ranged from 1 to 10 years. Each dog was non-sedated and placed in right lateral recumbency for echocardiographic examination from the right parasternal location and 3,5-5 MHz transducers were used. We measured the following parameters on the echocardiographic images by using standard methods: two different left atrial diameter in early diastole, one of them above the mitral annulus (LAama), the other in the midpoint of the atrial altitude (LAr-l), aortic diameter (Ao) in early diastole and E-point to septal separation (EPSS). Left ventricular internal dimension (LVID), interventricular septum thickness (IVS) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW) were also measured both in systole and diastole. Fractional shortening (FS), ejection fraction (EF) and aorta – left atrium ratio (LAD:AOD) were also calculated. We used linear regression statistic methods to detect relationships between the echocardiographic values and the body weight, gender and age. Body weight significant positively correlated with the echocardiographic values Ao, LAama, LAr-l, LVd and LVs. A significant linear regression was found between age and Ao, LAama and LVPWs. None of the measured echocardiographic parameters correlated significantly with gender. Our results shows, that to know the normal echocardiographic parameters of the Hungarian Puli is really important, because there are a lot of differences between the breeds in this connection and without the reference values it is more difficult to recognize heart diseases. | en |
