Congestive heart failure in cattle- introduction- clinical signs, pathophysiology, line of treatment

1. CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE IN
CATTLE
DR. DHURBA D. C.
Livestock Development Officer
B.V.Sc. & A.H. (TU/IAAS)
M.V.Sc. Medicine (AFU)
1

2. INTRODUCTION
2
 Congestive heart failure (CHF) denotes the failure of
heart to pump blood effectively.
 It is defined as chronic heart failure accompanied by
congestion in the circulation, either in the pulmonary
venous circulation or systemic venous circulation or
both.
 Pulmonary circulation- left sided heart failure
 Systemic venous circulation- right sided heart failure
 In CHF heart can not meet the output required to body
with retention of excess sodium and fluids
Source: Google image

3. ETIOLOGY
Causes of CHF can be broadly characterized as follows:
3
A. Vulvular disease
 Endocarditis resulting in either valvular stenosis
or vulvular insufficiency.
 Congenital valvular defects- most commonly
valvular stenosis
 Rupture of the vulve or vulve chordae
Source: Google image

4. ETIOLOGY
4
B. Myocardial disease
 Myocarditis- bacterial, viral, parasitic
 Myocardial degeneration- nutritional or toxic
 Congenital or hereditary cardiomyopathy
 Toxins affecting cardiac conduction
C. Congenital anatomical defects producing shunts
 Ventricular or atrial septal defect, tetralogy of
fallot
 Patent ducts arteriosis Source: Google image

5. ETIOLOGY
5
D. Hypertension
 Pulmonary hypertension- high altitude disease, cor
pulmonale
 Systemic hypertension- undocumented cause of
CHF in large animal
Source: Google image

6. PATHOGENESIS
 Retention of salt & water by kidney occurring in response to low cardiac
output, leads to increase of blood volume and venous return to heart.
 This large volume of blood can not be handled by the falling chamber of
the heart, consequently there will be stagnation or congestion or blood in
the circuit which is lying immediately behind failing chamber.
 The site of congestion will be determined by the chamber failed
 Left sided failure cause pulmonary venous congestion-pulmonary edema &
Right sided failure will cause systemic venous congestion-edema
6

7. PATHOGENESIS
7
Heart damage
Ventricular overload
Decreased ventricular contraction
Tachycardia
Ventricular dilatation
Myocardial hypertrophy
Decreased cardiac output
Decreased renal perfusion
Increased sodium retention
Fluid overloaded
Edema
Increased water reabsorption
Increased ADH
Increased osmotic pressure
Fig. Pathophysiology of Congestive Heart Failure

8. CLINICAL FINDINGS
Left sided cardiac failure:
 Dyspnea, coughing
 Alteration of pulse and enlargement of the heart.
Right sided cardiac failure:
 Edema, hydrothorax, ascites, albuminuria, jugular pulse and cyanosis
 Auscultation of heart shows- Gallop rhythm over mitral area, Apical impulse,
systolic murmur.
 Ascultation of lungs shows- Rapid respiration, Chayne- stoke’s type,
Crepitations over the base of lungs, Rhonchi
8

9. CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
 Albuminuria
 Increase S.G.P.T. level
 Urea and alkaline phosphatase level may also be high
9

10. DIAGNOSIS
■ Clinical findings
■ E.C.G findings
 Prolonged QRS- in ventricular enlargement
 prolonged p wave in right and left aerial enlargement.
10

11. LINE OF TREATMENT
 Provide plenty of rest, avoid heavy work.
 Salt free diet should be offered
 Constipation should be avoided by extending laxative drugs or enema.
 Use of diuretics:
 Furosemide – 2.5-5 mg/kg, IV
 Cardiac glycoside:
 Digoxin- 2.2 mg/100 kg followed by 0.34mg/100kg every 4 hrs.
11

12. LINE OF TREATMENT
 If treated animal are not eating, KCl- 100 gm orally (monitor serum
potassium concentrations because the toxic effects of digoxin are impacted
by the serum potassium concentration)
12

13. References
Amalendu, C. (2003). Textbook of Clinical Veterinary Medicine.
Bradford, P. S., & Smith, D. (1990). Large animal internal medicine. The CV Mosby
Company, St. Louis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Toronto.
Harpal, S. S. (2013).Essential of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
Radostits, O. M., Gay, C. C., Hinchcliff, K. W., & Constable, P. D. (Eds.).
(2006). Veterinary Medicine E-Book: A textbook of the diseases of cattle, horses,
sheep, pigs and goats. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Smith, B. P. (1996). Large animal internal medicine: diseases of horses, cattle, sheep,
and goats. Mosby.
13