title: Red blood cell distribution width in dogs with chronic degenerative valvular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate RBC distribution width (RDW) in dogs with chronic degenerative valvular disease (CDVD) with compensated or decompensated heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  27 healthy dogs and 135 dogs with CDVD (87 dogs with compensated heart failure and 48 dogs with decompensated heart failure).
  
  
  METHODS
  The RDW and various CBC and serum biochemical variables were compared among groups. Correlations between RDW and various echocardiographic variables were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ± SD RDW in dogs with CDVD (13.1% ± 1.0%) was not significantly different from that of healthy dogs (12.8% ± 0.8%). The RDW of dogs with CDVD and compensated heart failure (13.0% ± 1.0%) was not significantly different from that of dogs with CDVD and decompensated heart failure (13.2% ± 1.1%). The RDW had a significant, weak, negative correlation with Hct (correlation coefficient, -0.250), hemoglobin concentration (correlation coefficient, -0.219), and mean corpuscular volume (correlation coefficient, -0.211). The RDW had a significant, weak, positive correlation with 1 echocardiographic index of CDVD severity (ie, the left atrium-to-aorta ratio [correlation coefficient, 0.183]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study population, RDW did not seem to be associated with the presence of heart failure or CDVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Teramo, Italy. carlo.guglielmini@unipd.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guglielmini
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Poser
authors.forename: Angela Dalla
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pria
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drigo
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mazzotta
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berlanda
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luciani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies