Diagnostic methods and their features in the diagnosis and differentiation of cardiovascular diseases in dogs and cats. Subtleties of selective treatment.

Materials for this thesis was collected at “X” small animal clinic. Research was conducted in 2016-2017. Master‘s thesis consists of 57 pages with 21 illustrations, 52 literature sources and 10 annexes. The main goal of this thesis was to analyze the medical examination methods which were used when diagnosing and differentiating the illnesses of cardiovascular system for dogs and cats, to analyze the reasons why the chosen methods for diagnostics were used, to analyze the symptoms of the most typical cardiovascular illnesses, and to examine the principles of drug treatment schemes by providing a scientific justification for the combinations of medicines. We emphasized the evaluation of pathognostic signs, which are specific to certain illnesses, with general and special examination methods. We focused onto the changes found during the clinical examination and echocardiography, but in order to confirm or deny the diagnosis we also used other diagnostic methods: x-ray, electrocardiography and blood tests. When evaluating performed diagnostic methods it was found that the most common method used from the general methods is clinical examination (100,0 percent), and among the special methods – echocardiographic examination (100,0 percent). Echocardiographic examination provides the most information because it allows to evaluate all structures of the heart in real time and the functional capacity of the heart. When applying echocardiographic examination, we performed the differentiation of the illnesses. When diagnosing endocardiosis we found: shortened / thickened mitral and/or tricuspid valve leaflets (100,0 percent), single of several regurgitation jets (100,0 percent), increased left ventricular size and increased ratio between the left atrial to aorta (79,5 percent), if the illness has already progressed – valve leaflets prolapse into atrium (45,8 percent). When diagnosing dilated cardiomyopathy with echogram it was established: dilation of left cardiac ventricular and reduced shortening fraction (100,0 percent). Hypokinesis detected when using M-mode (62,5 percent). For cats, when diagnosing feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) it was established: thickened left ventricle wall and papillary muscles (94,7 percent), thickened ventricular septum (73,7 percent), left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (57,9 percent), enlarged left atrium (47,4 percent). During the research we found that the X-ray was used as an auxiliary medical examination method (76,4 percent), while ECG was used when rhythm disorders were established during the clinical examination (23,6 percent). Most used medicines when treating dogs from endocardiosis were: ACE inhibitors and combinations of aldosterone antagonists. If supraventricular arrhythmias were established cardiac glycosides alone or in combination with calcium channels or β – blockers were prescribed, while if ventricular extrasystoles were established – phosphodiesterase inhibitors in combination with β – blockers were prescribed. If the dilated cardiomyopathy was diagnosed ACE inhibitors and phosphodiesterase inhibitors were prescribed. If atrial fibrillation was found – cardiac glycosides with calcium channel or β – blockers were prescribed. Cats who were ill with feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were prescribed with β – blockers (propranolol for older, atenolol for younger cats), anticoagulants and ACE inhibitors