Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicosis. Clinical features in 32 dogs

J Vet Intern Med. 1992 Mar-Apr;6(2):82-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1992.tb03156.x.

Abstract

Clinical cardiac abnormalities developed in 32 of 175 dogs that had various malignancies and were treated with doxorubicin: 31 dogs had electrocardiographic abnormalities including arrhythmias and nonspecific alterations in the R wave, ST segment, or QRS duration and 7 dogs had congestive heart failure. All seven dogs that had congestive heart failure died within 90 days. At necropsy, 13 of 32 affected dogs had noninflammatory myocardial degeneration, myocytolysis, vacuolation, and/or fibrosis and there was intramural coronary arteriosclerosis in all 13. Five dogs with lymphosarcoma were in complete clinical remission when they died of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy, but the overall survival times of the lymphosarcoma subset was nevertheless longer than in previous studies. The clinical use of doxorubicin in the dog can cause cardiotoxicosis but the therapeutic benefit appears to outweigh risks in most dogs.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / chemically induced
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / veterinary
  • Dog Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Dogs
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Doxorubicin / adverse effects*
  • Electrocardiography / veterinary
  • Female
  • Heart / drug effects*
  • Heart Diseases / chemically induced
  • Heart Diseases / veterinary*
  • Heart Failure / chemically induced
  • Heart Failure / veterinary
  • Male
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / veterinary*
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Doxorubicin