Key result
Echocardiographic screening identifies a ~2% incidence of canine cardiac disease, driven primarily by DCM.
Why the study?
Canine cardiac diseases are increasingly prevalent and impact quality of life, but their incidence and breed-wise distribution require further assessment.
Observational (n=44,058)
No
In a large canine cohort, dilated cardiomyopathy and mitral valve disease account for the majority of cardiac diseases, highlighting the importance of breed-based echocardiographic screening.
Regional incidence data may guide local canine screening; leaves open need for prospective multicenter studies.
Canine cardiac diseases are an emerging concern in small animal practice due to their increasing prevalence and impact on quality of life. This study aimed to assess the incidence and breed-wise distribution of cardiac diseases in dogs presented to Small Animal Outpatient of MVC Teaching Hospital, Chennai, between June 2022 and June 2025. A total of 44,058 dogs were presented during the study period. Comprehensive echocardiography including B-mode, M-mode, colour flow, and spectral Doppler was performed for all the suspected cases. The overall incidence of cardiac diseases was 2.28% confirmed by echocardiography. The present study analysed the incidence of cardiac diseases in dogs, comprising 1006 cases, of which acquired conditions predominated (89.66%). Dilated cardiomyopathy (49.50%) and mitral valve disease (28.92%) represented the most common acquired cardiac disorders, followed by pericardial effusion (4.67%) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (2.43%). Congenital cardiac anomalies accounted for 10.34% of cases, with tricuspid valve dysplasia (3.77%) and tetralogy of Fallot (3.25%) being the most frequently diagnosed. The findings emphasize the predominance of dilated cardiomyopathy and mitral valve disease in canine populations. This study highlights the incidence and distribution of congenital and acquired cardiac conditions based on the echocardiographic findings, to record various types of heart diseases in relation to age, breed, sex; and to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis, breeds-based screening to improve outcome in canine cardiac care.
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Kirubakaran et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Canine cardiac diseases (n=44,058). Suspected cardiac disease was evaluated on Incidence of cardiac diseases confirmed by echocardiography. Echocardiographic screening of 44,058 dogs over three years revealed a 2.28% incidence of cardiac diseases, predominantly driven by acquired conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy (49.50%).
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