Abstract
A 13-year-old female Beagles dog was referred with a history of abdominal enlargement and dyspnea. Thoracic radiograph revealed cardiac enlargement. Echocardiograph revealed tricuspid valve regurgitation. Although right atrial pressure was normal, right ventricular pressure was elevated (systolic/end-diastolic; 69/5.0 mmHg). Similarly, although plasma ANP was normal, plasma NT-proBNP was elevated to 1,583 pmol/L. The following medications were prescribed: enalapril, torasemide, and methyldigoxin. After 30 days of treatment, clinical signs and right ventricular pressure was decreased (20/-2.3 mmHg). The plasma NT-proBNP had decreased to 1,245 pmol/ml. These results suggest that elevated right ventricular pressure induced in an increase in plasma NT-proBNP levels.
