Myocarditis in dogs: What's the clinical presentation, causes and outcome? | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we discuss the clinical presentation, cardiovascular findings, etiology, and outcome of myocarditis in dogs. Myocarditis, or inflammation of the myocardium, is not well studied in dogs but can occur secondary to infectious and noninfectious etiologies. Infectious etiologies previously reported in dogs include trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, parvovirus, toxoplasmosis, neosporosis, borreliosis, ehrlichiosis, leptospirosis and bartonellosis. Drugs, toxins, immune-mediated disease, trauma, heat stroke, shock, and idiopathic account for the reported noninfectious causes. Definitive diagnosis requires histopathology, which would mean the need for endomyocardial biopsy in living patients – which I'll admit, I'm scared to do - it's not exactly a procedure without risk. As a result, antemortem histopathology is not commonly obtained in dogs and diagnosis is usually presumptive based on the subjective clinical picture. Standard criteria for antemortem diagnosis have not been established in dogs.

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