Low intensity heart murmurs in boxer dogs: inter-observer variation and effects of stress testing

Abstract

Inter-observer variation in the detection and grading of low intensity heart murmurs in boxer dogs was investigated. Six veterinarians with different levels of experience examined 27 boxers by cardiac auscultation. The dogs were auscultated before and after exercise, and the results were compared with phonocardiographic and echocardiographic examinations performed at rest and during two different stress tests. A subvalvular aortic ridge was identified in six dogs on two-dimensional echocardiography. Using dogs with low intensity murmurs or dogs free of heart murmurs, inter-observer agreement was positively correlated to the level of experience at rest (weighted kappa [kappa] 0(.)14 to 0(.)75), while the agreement was poor after exercise (weighted kappa 0(.)01 to 0(.)36). The presence of a subvalvular aortic ridge was associated with higher aortic flow velocities (P<0(.)002) and higher auscultatory murmur grading (P<0(.)001). There was an increase in murmur duration during one kind of stress test (P<0(.)001) and in aortic flow velocity during the other (P=0(.)001)

Keywords

Canine; boxer dog; subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS); auscultation; murmur; inter-observer variation; echocardiography; phonocardiography; stress testing; heart sounds

Published in

Journal of Small Animal Practice
2004, Volume: 45, number: 4, pages: 178-185
Publisher: BRITISH VETERINARY ASSOC

SLU Authors

• Höglund, Katja

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2004.tb00221.x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/2951