The Use of Two Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Veterinary Cardiology

The aim of this study is to present short-axis radial and circumferential strain and strain rate measurements by speckle tracking echocardiography technique in healthy cats and dogs. The study was performed at Small Animal Training and Research Hospital, Ankara University. Retrospective data from cats (n=5) and dogs (n=5), which are applied to the animal hospital for cardiological examination, were analyzed. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography was performed without sedation, and patients were manually restrained in the right and left lateral positions. Peak systolic radial strain, radial strain rate, circumferential strain, circumferential strain rate means were 24.47 ± 1.22%, 0.29 ± 0.20 s-1, -15.33 ± 2.56%, 0.05 ± 0.27 s-1 respectively for cats and were 39.33 ± 14.02%,-0.47s -1 ± 0.55 s-1, -23.13 ± 1.53%, -0.63 s-1± 0.18 s-1 respectively for dogs. It is thought that speckle tracking echocardiography can be included in routine echocardiographic examinations because this technique provides detailed information for determining the systolic potential of the left ventricle and the examination time is not much different compared to conventional echocardiographic examinations.