title: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in boxer dogs: a retrospective study of survival.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate survival in a population of 62 boxer dogs with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), without left ventricular systolic failure, based on the following factors: age at diagnosis, presence of syncopal episodes, Holter arrhythmia classification and administered treatment. Medical records of boxer dogs with a diagnosis of ARVC between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. Results showed that median survival time (MST) was longer in younger ARVC dogs than in the older ones P<0.001). MST was statistically different (P=0.012) between dogs with syncope (365 days) and dogs without syncope episodes (693 days), the probability of death within a year being 4.8 times greater in dogs with syncope (95% CI 1.48 to 15.99) than in dogs without syncope. Regarding Holter classification results, MST was 547.5 days in Holter class-2 dogs and 365 days in Holter class-4 dogs (P=0.030). There were no differences regarding treatment options; MST was 365 days (95% CI 193.615 to 536.4) in the sotalol group, 365 days (95% CI 92.86 to 637.14) in the mexiletine plus atenolol group, and 547.50 days (95% CI 170.45 to 924.55) in the procainamide group (P=0.383). According to this study, the best prognosis is for the younger boxer dog without syncope. There were no differences in survival times in relation to the different treatment options used.
authors: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Medicina y Cirugía Animal, University Complutense of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. aliciac@vet.ucm.es
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Caro-Vadillo
authors: L
authors: L
authors: García-Guasch
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Carretón
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Montoya-Alonso
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Manubens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013045:Species Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis