The mean vertebral heart size in healthy Australian Cattle Dogs was significantly higher (10.5 vertebrae) compared to the published average for normal dogs of different breeds (9.7 vertebrae).
Cross-Sectional (n=20)
Does the vertebral heart size in healthy Australian Cattle Dogs differ from the general dog population?
Australian Cattle Dogs have a significantly larger normal vertebral heart size compared to the general dog population, highlighting the need for breed-specific reference ranges.
Absolute Event Rate: 10.5% vs 9.7%
The vertebral heart score or size (VHS) measurement is routinely used to provide a more objective measurement of cardiomegaly in dogs. However, breed or body conformation can influence the VHS. To assess the specific VHS for the Australian Cattle Dog, left-to-right lateral, right-to-left lateral, dorsoventral and ventrodorsal thoracic radiographs from 20 individuals free from cardiac and pulmonary disease were obtained. The mean VHS was significantly higher in Australian Cattle Dog (10.5 ± 0.4 vertebrae), when compared with the average VHS for 100 normal dogs of different breeds that had been initially published (9.7 ± 0.5 vertebrae). This emphasizes the importance of breed-specific VHS ranges. In our study group of normal Australian Cattle Dogs, the mean VHS was 10.5 ± 0.5 vertebrae (mean ±SD) on right lateral and 10.3 ± 0.5 vertebrae on left lateral radiographs. The VHS on right lateral views was significantly larger than on left lateral views. The VHS was 10.5 ± 0.6 vertebrae on dorsoventral and 11.1 ± 0.6 vertebrae on ventrodorsal radiographs. The VHS on ventrodorsal views was significantly larger than on dorsoventral views.
Luciani et al. (Sun,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=20). Australian Cattle Dog breed vs. Normal dogs of different breeds (published average) was evaluated on Mean vertebral heart size (VHS). The mean vertebral heart size in healthy Australian Cattle Dogs was significantly higher (10.5 vertebrae) compared to the published average for normal dogs of different breeds (9.7 vertebrae).
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