Electrocardiographic Changes in Canine Babesiosis - Abstract
Canine babesiosis, a tick- borne haemoprotozoan disease, characterized by both intravascular and extravascular haemolysis leading to regenerative anaemia, anaemic hypoxia, and metabolic acidosis. ECG changes have never been studied in canine babesiosis caused by B. gibsoni which is more pathogenic and prevalent in India. However, ECG changes occurred in up to 40% cases of canine babesiosis caused by B. canis rossi. The study was conducted to describe the ECG changes in naturally occurring cases of canine babesiosis caused by B. gibsoni. Study was performed on 189 clinical cases diagnosed with canine babesiosis, referred at Medical wing of the Referral Veterinary Polyclinic of the Institute during 2005-2006 by using a 12 lead BPL- ECG machine (CARDIART-408). The mean heart rate (151.3 ± 53.3) was found slightly higher than the standard reference value. Population mean of ‘P’ amplitude (0.17 ± 0.007) and ‘QRS’ duration (0.04 ± 0.02) were found to be slightly lower. Other parameters like ‘P’ duration (0.03 ± 0.01), ‘R’ amplitude (1.05 ± 0.51), ‘R-R’ interval (0.46 ± 0.15) ‘QT’ duration (0.15 ± 0.03), ‘PR’ duration (0.09 ± 0.06) and T: R ratio (0.26 ± 0.26) did not differ much from the standard reference values. The prevalence of electrographic abnormalities were prevalent in 51.3% cases of canine babesiosis with a highest prevalence of tachycardia followed by low voltage complex, sinus arrhythmia, tachy arrhythmia, and atrial fibrillation. The dogs with Babesia infection also showed various types of complex changes. From the present study it appears that the ECG changes in canine babesiosis are multifactorial and heart suffers from same pathological process.