Infective endocarditis in dogs: Review

Abstract

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a systemic disease caused by bacterial or, more rarely, fungal colonization of the valvar or mural endocardium. The most affected area is usually the left side of the heart, with involvement of the mitral valve, aortic valve, or both. Among the animals most prone to infection are those of medium to large size and males, in addition to the incidence and prevalence intensified with advancing age. The clinical signs are very unspecific in the majority, which makes it even more difficult to suspect and diagnose the precocity that the disease in question demands, but the development of a murmur or alteration of this is a strong indication of valve endocarditis. The diagnosis is mainly due to positive results of blood culture, with attention to infections by microorganisms of the genus Bartonella, which can hardly be identified through standard microbiological techniques and through the visualization of characteristic vegetative lesions using the echocardiographic method. The indicated therapeutic protocol is the basis for administration of bactericidal antimicrobials, which should not be postponed and always supported in the results of blood culture and antibiogram. The objective of this work is to carry out a literature review on IE in dogs, with emphasis on the main clinical aspects, diagnosis and treatment of the disease.