Long Term Management of Congenital Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia in a Dog

A four month old, intact female Jindo dog presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Kangwon National University with collapse. Physical examination revealed a heart rate of more than 200 beats per minute. Blood tests showed mild anemia and mild neutrophilia, while thoracic radiography and ultrasonography revealed no remarkable findings. Electrocardiography showed ventricular premature complexes (VPCs). The dog was diagnosed with congenital ventricular tachyarrhythmia. The condition was improved by lidocaine infusion. After 10 days, the dog was discharged from the hospital with a prescription of atenolol, pimobendan, diltiazem, furosemide, spironolactone, and L-carnitine. This dog is still alive after 31 months. However, progressive cardiac remodeling was confirmed on radiography and ultrasonography. Congenital ventricular tachyarrhythmia is rare in dogs, and the prognosis of reported cases is poor. This report describes the long-term successful management of a dog with congenital ventricular tachyarrhythmia.