Small animal cardiology

Question 1

What pathologies cause murmurs at the left base?

Answer 1

systolic:
pulmonary/aortic stenosis or functional/innocent murmurs (six 6s)

diastolic:
pulmonary/aortic insufficiency

Continuous:
PDA or AV fistulae

sensitive, short, single, small, soft, systolic

Question 2

What pathologies cause murmurs at the left apex?

Answer 2

systolic:
mitral valve dysplasia and secondary mitral valve regurge

diastolic:
mitral valve stenosis
Ao insufficiency

Question 2

What pathologies cause murmurs at the right caudal?

Answer 2

systolic:
tricuspid valve dysplasia or VSD

diastolic:
tricuspid valve stenosis

Question 3

What are differentials for ventricular arrhythmias?

HEADS

Answer 3

Heart disease (DCM, ARVC, HCM)
Electrolyte imbalance
Adrenergic tone/ autonomic imbalance
Drugs
Surgical disease (splenic, GDV, sepsis)

Question 4

What is the diagnosis and treatment for pericardial effusion?

Answer 4

Muffled heart sounds
* +/- pulsus paradoxus
* Venous distention
* +/- ascites
* Enlarged cardiac
silhouette
* Electrical alternans (alternating QRS)

pericardiocentesis
percadioectomy… more

Question 4

What are the clincial signs for acute and chronic cardiac tamponade?

Answer 4

Acute:
small volume PE
low cardiac output
acute hemorrhage: trauma, hemangiosarcoma, left atrial rupture.

Chronic:
large volume PE
right sidd congestions and ascites
chronic pericardial effusion
(idopathic, neoplasia, infection)

Question 5

What are some rule out for funcitonal murmurs in a feline heart? What are diagnostic tests to rule out or confirm?

What is the value for cardiac disease in a snap test? what if it is greater that 270pmol/L

Answer 5

anemia
systemic hypertension
hyperthyroidism

NT-proBNP snap test

> 100 pmol/L means there is a likelihood of significant cardiac disease
270 suggests CHF