Ventricular septal defects in three familially-related female Saanen goats

A retrospective study of congenital cardiac malformations in 29 goats

Cardiac malformations are sporadically diagnosed in domestic species; however, little literature is available for this group of developmental anomalies in goats. We performed a retrospective study to catalog congenital cardiac conditions in goats submitted to the University of California-Davis, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Anatomic Pathology Autopsy Service. From 2000 to 2021, of 1,886 goat autopsies, 29 cases of cardiac malformations were identified (1.5%). Thirteen were ≤ 2-wk-old, 8 were 1-6-mo-old, and 8 were adults 2-9-y-old. The most common malformations were ventricular septal defect (VSD; 21 of 29), atrial septal defect or persistent foramen ovale (10 of 29), and double-outlet right ventricle (3 of 29). Nine cases had > 1 malformation, typically including a VSD. Conditions that had not been reported in the goat included double-outlet right ventricle (3), tetralogy of Fallot (1), cor triatriatum sinister (1), and mitral valve dysplasia (1). Two adult cases were incidental and not suspected clinically. Cardiac malformations occur not uncommonly in goats and should be considered in a wide age range.

Reliability of quantitative echocardiography in adult sheep and goats

BACKGROUND

Echocardiography is a non-invasive method for assessment of the ovine and caprine heart. Complete reference ranges for cardiac dimensions and time indices for both species are not currently available and reliability of these measurements has not been evaluated. The objectives for this study are to report reliability, normal cardiac dimensions and time indices in a large group of adult sheep and goats.Fifty-one adult sheep and forty adult goats were recruited. Full echocardiographic examinations were performed in the standing unsedated animal. All animals underwent echocardiography four times in a 72-hour period. Echocardiography was performed three times by one author and once by another. Images were stored and measured offline. Technique and measurement repeatability and reproducibility and any differences due to animal or day were evaluated. Reference ranges (mean ± 2 standard deviations) were calculated for both species.

RESULTS

Majority of the images obtained were of good to excellent quality. Image acquisition was straightforward with 5.4% of animals demonstrating a small scanning window. Reliability was excellent for majority of dimensions and time indices. There was less variation in repeatability when compared with reproducibility and differences were greater for technique than for measurements. Dimensions that were less reliable included those for right ventricular diameter and left ventricular free wall. There were many differences in cardiac dimensions between sheep and goats.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has demonstrated that specific reference ranges are required for these two species. Repeatability and reproducibility were excellent for the majority of cardiac dimensions and time indices suggesting that this technique is reliable and valuable for examination of clinical cases over time and for longitudinal research studies.