The present study was aimed to report the diagnostic features of Pericardial effusion (PE), observed in commonly employed cardiac diagnostic modalities viz., radiography, electrocardiography and echocardiography. A 9-year-old, female Labrador Retriever dog (24 kg) was brought to the Referral Veterinary Polyclinic, Indian Veterinary Research Institute-Izatnagar with the complaint of exercise intolerance, listlessness, lethargy, generalized weakness and inappetence. Physical examination revealed tachypnoea, distended abdomen and on auscultation muffled heart sounds were observed. Based on physical examination findings, animal was put on other cardiac diagnostic techniques to arrive at final diagnosis. Diagnostic features characteristic to pericardial effusion, an abnormal accumulation of fluid inside the pericardium, were observed. Globoid heart appearance and large Vertebral Heart Score (VHS) was observed on lateral thoracic radiograph. Electrocardiography (Lead II) revealed decreased R wave amplitude (decreased left ventricular contraction). On echocardiographic examination an echo free space between epicardium and pericardium was observed. All these findings were indicative of pericardial effusion, however, without an exact aetiology. This article reports the successful diagnosis of pericardial effusion in Labrador Retriever. However, to confirm the aetiology other diagnostic tests like haematology, pericardial fluid analysis and histopathology need to done.
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