ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs

Abstract

This report, issued by the ACVIM Specialty of Cardiology consensus panel, revises guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD, also known as endocardiosis and degenerative or chronic valvular heart disease) in dogs, originally published in 2009. Updates were made to diagnostic, as well as medical, surgical, and dietary treatment recommendations. The strength of these recommendations was based on both the quantity and quality of available evidence supporting diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. Management of MMVD before the onset of clinical signs of heart failure has changed substantially compared with the 2009 guidelines, and new strategies to diagnose and treat advanced heart failure and pulmonary hypertension are reviewed.

Keywords: canine; congestive heart failure; evidence-based treatment; mitral.

Figure 1

One of the 4 criteria that identify advanced Stage B2 in dogs is that the echocardiographic LA : Ao ratio as measured in the right‐sided short‐axis view in early diastole is ≥1.6. The measurement is illustrated. The blue arrow illustrates the measurement of the aortic dimension at the level of the aortic valve, and the orange arrow illustrates measurement of the left atrial dimension