Aim: The present study was aimed to determine the normal reference values of M-mode echocardiographic measurements in healthy Indian Spitz dogs and evaluate the influence of gender and body weight on these measurements.

Materials and Methods: M-mode echocardiography was performed in twenty-four clinically healthy conscious Indian Spitz dogs, aged 3-5 years and weighing 7-18 kg. Measurements were made from the right parasternal long axis left ventricular outflow tract view of the heart. The parameters recorded were: Left ventricular internal dimension, interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular posterior wall thickness during diastole and systole, left atrial diameter, aortic root diameter, left ventricular systolic functional parameters, and indices and mitral valve parameters.

Results: M-mode echocardiographic measurements in healthy Indian Spitz dogs were standardized. Gender had no influence on echocardiographic measurements except mitral valve excursion amplitude and time interval between onset and end of mitral valve closure, which were significantly (p<0.05) higher in females than males. Left ventricular internal dimension at end-diastole, left ventricular internal dimension at end-systole, left ventricular posterior wall dimension at end-systole, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, stroke volume, cardiac output, left ventricular ejection time, and mitral valve excursion amplitude correlated significantly (p<0.05) with body weight in Indian Spitz dogs.

Conclusion: Data obtained in the present study can be used as breed-specific reference values for cardiac disease diagnosis as well as for future studies in Indian Spitz dogs.

Keywords: dogs, echocardiography, Indian Spitz, M-mode.

1. Boon, J.A. (2016) In: Boon, J.A., editor. Two-dimensional and M-mode Echocardiography for Small Animal Practitioner. 2nd ed. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, United States. [Crossref]

2. Morrison, S.A., Moise, N.S., Scarlet, J., Mohammed, H. and Yeager, A.E. (1992) Effect of breed and body weight on echocardiographic values in four breeds of dogs of differing somatotype. J. Vet. Intern. Med., 6(4): 220-224. [Crossref] [PubMed]

3. Torre, P.K.D., Kirby, A.C., Church, D.B. and Malik, R. (2000) Echocardiographic measurements in greyhounds, whippets and Italian greyhounds-dogs with a similar conformation but different sizes. Aust. Vet. J., 78(1): 49-55. [Crossref]

4. Crippa, L., Ferro, E., Melloni, E., Brambilla, P. and Cavaletti, E. (1992) Echocardiographic parameters and indices in the normal beagle dog. Lab. Anim., 26(3): 190-195. [Crossref] [PubMed]

5. O'Leary, C.A., Mackay, B.M., Taplin, R.H. and Atwell, R.B. (2003) Echocardiographic parameters in 14 healthy English Bull Terriers. Aust. Vet. J., 81(9): 535-542. [Crossref]

6. Kayar, A., Gonul, R., Or, M.E. and Uysal, A. (2006) M-mode echocardiographic parameters and indices in the normal German shepherd dog. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound, 47(5): 482-486. [Crossref]

7. Bavegems, V., Duchateau, L., Sys, S.U. and De Rick, A. (2007) Echocardiographic reference values in Whippets. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound, 48(3): 230-238. [Crossref]

8. Castro, M.G., Torres, R.C.S., Araujo, R.B., Muzzi, R.A.L. and Silva, E.F. (2011) Echocardiography of clinically normal Yorkshire terrier dogs. Arq. Bras. Med. Vet. Zootec., 63(5): 1079-1086. [Crossref]

9. Noviana, D., Paramitha, D. and Wulansari, R. (2011) Motion mode and two-dimensional echocardiographic measurements of cardiac dimensions of Indonesian mongrel dogs. HAYATI J. Biosci., 18(1): 1-5. [Crossref]

10. Jacobson, J.H., Boon, J.A. and Bright, J.M. (2013) An echocardiographic study of healthy border collies with normal reference ranges for the breed. J. Vet. Cardiol., 15(2): 123-130. [Crossref] [PubMed]

11. Gugjoo, M.B., Hoque, M., Saxena, A.C, Mohammed, M., Zama, S. and Dey, S. (2014) Reference values of M-mode echocardiographic parameters and indices in conscious Labrador retriever dogs. Iran. J. Vet. Res., 15(4): 341-346.

12. Saini, N., Uppal, S.K. and Randhawa, C.S. (2017) Echocardiographic parameters and indices in healthy Labrador retriever dogs. Isr. J. Vet. Med., 72(4): 28-32.

13. Bhargavi, S., Kannan, T.A., Ramesh, G., Sumathi, D., Prasad, A.A. and Gnanadevi, R. (2018) Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters in indigenous dog breed (Rajapalayam) of Tamil Nadu. EC Clin. Exp. Anat., 1(3): 94-101.

14. Ajibola, S., Oyewale, J., Oke, B., Durotoye, L., Adeliyi, T. and Rahman, S. (2017) Normal M-mode echocardiographic indices of Nigerian local dogs. J. Biol. Res., 90(1): 6107. [Crossref]

15. Kumar, A., Dey, S. and Mahajan, S. (2014) Incidence and risk assessment of cardiac arrhythmias in dogs with respect to age, breed, sex and associated biochemical changes. Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci., 2(5): 277-281. [Crossref]

16. Behera, M., Pandal, S.K., Nath, I., Panda, M.R., Kundu, A.K., Gupta, A.R. and Behera, S.S. (2017) Incidence of canine ascites in and around Bhubneshwar, Odisha, India. Int. J. Sci. Environ. Technol., 6(6): 3382-3392.

17. Thirunavukkarasu, P. (2014) Doppler Echocardiographic Assessment of Acquired Heart Diseases in Dogs. Ph. D Thesis. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai.

18. Saxena, A.C. (2008) Studies on the Measurement of Reference Ranges of Echocardiographic Indices and Related Cardiac Parameters in Indian Spitz Breed of dogs. M.V Sc Thesis. Deemed University, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India.

19. Bodh, D. (2014) Evaluation of Cardiac Function in Spitz, Labrador Retriever and non-descript Dogs with Special Reference to Doppler Parameters. Ph. D Thesis. Deemed University, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India.

20. Thomas, W.P., Gaber, C.E., Jacobs, G.J., Kaplan, P.M., Lombard, C.W., Moise, N.S. and Moses, B.L. (1993) Recommendations for standards in transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography in the dog and cat. J. Vet. Intern. Med., 7(4): 247-252. [Crossref] [PubMed]

21. Teichholz, L.E., Kreulen, T., Herman, M.V. and Gorlin, R. (1976) Problems in echocardiographic volume determinations: Echocardiographic-angiographic correlations in the presence or absence of asynergy. Am. J. Cardiol., 37(1):7-11. [Crossref]

22. Singh, P., Yadav, B.M., Singh, N., Mahajan, S.K. and Singh, A.P. (2012) Correlation of echocardiographic parameters and indices of normal healthy Indian dogs with their body weight. Indian J. Vet. Surg., 33(2): 99-102.