Epidemiology of heart disease in English Bull Terriers and echocardiographic characteristics of mitral valve abnormalities

Abstract

Objectives: To present the prevalence and distribution of heart disease as well as echocardiographic findings in English Bull Terriers.

Materials and methods: One hundred and one English Bull Terriers were retrospectively included to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of heart disease. Secondly, a retrospective study on mitral valve abnormalities was performed on three groups: a control group (n=120, 19 breeds) used to establish reference intervals for mean transmitral gradient; a healthy English Bull Terriers group (n=25) and an English Bull Terriers group with mitral valve abnormalities (n= 18). Healthy English Bull Terriers for which mitral inflow parameters were not obtainable and English Bull Terriers with other types of heart disease were excluded.

Results: The prevalence of heart disease in English Bull Terriers was 65% (66/101), with mitral valve abnormalities (47%, 47/101) and aortic stenosis (29%, 29/101) being most common. The cut-off value for normal mean transmitral gradient was 3.5 mmHg in the control group. The mean transmitral gradient for healthy English Bull Terriers was higher than for other dog breeds. Healthy English Bull Terriers had a smaller mitral valve area and mitral annulus diameter compared with dogs with a similar body surface area. A high heart rate, smaller mitral valve area, mitral regurgitation, and volume overload are associated with increased mean transmitral gradient in English Bull Terriers with mitral valve abnormalities.

Clinical significance: We suggest that mitral valve area, mitral annulus diameter and mean transmitral gradient measurements should be included in the echocardiographic protocol for English Bull Terriers.