Clinical diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in dogs

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition in which the pulmonary artery pressure is elevated. With the widespread use of ultrasound devices in small animal clinics, PH has come to be frequently detected in dogs. Elevation of the pulmonary artery pressure is caused by increased pulmonary blood flow, vascular resistance, and venous pressure, and has a complex pathophysiology. Various underlying diseases can cause PH, and the therapy for PH is often based on the underlying disease. In dogs, although degenerative mitral valve disease is the most common cause of PH, left-to-right shunting in congenital cardiac defects, lung disease, and pulmonary thromboembolism can also cause PH. Furthermore, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension has also been reported in dogs. Although underlying diseases should be treated if possible, selective phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, which affect the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway, can be used as a pulmonary artery vasodilator in dogs, with expected improvement in clinical signs.