Preoperative electrocardiographic study of dogs at the veterinary hospital of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná

Abstract

Electrocardiogram is considered a substantial instrument in the clinical evaluation of patients with heart disease. This tool can be used to determine the origin and frequency of the impulse as well as the cardiac conduction disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and type of electrocardiographic abnormalities in the immediate preoperative period of 60 dogs seen in the surgery department of the Veterinary Hospital of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná - PUCPR, campus Toledo, between September 2015 and June 2017, and to analyze its correlation with the different breeds, sex, age, and weight of each patient. Alterations in the preoperative electrocardiogram have been shown to be frequent and their occurrence is independent of age, breed, size, and sex of the animal. The most frequent findings in the present study were the following: respiratory sinus arrhythmia (30%), atrial fibrillation (16,7%), sinus tachycardia (10%), increase in R wave amplitude (10%), and ST segment depression (10%). Therefore, electrocardiography proved to be an auxiliary diagnostic method of great relevance in the dogs’ preoperative period, guaranteeing greater anesthesia safety and lower risks of cardiovascular complications.