Brief CommunicationClinical and Pathological Findings in 2 Rats (Rattus norvegicus) With Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Section snippets
Case 1
A 2-year-old, 380 g, intact female rat (Rattus norvegicus) presented with a 2-day history of generalized swelling, severe dyspnea, and decreased activity and appetite. The patient was housed with 7 conspecifics. On presentation, the rat appeared in good body condition (5/9) but had generalized subcutaneous edema, tachypnea (>190 breaths/min), tachycardia (>520 beats/min), muffled heart sounds, decreased lung sounds, and mild pododermatitis on the plantar surface of its left hind limb.
The rat was
Case 2
A 2-year-old, 635 g intact female rat presented with severe acute dyspnea, rhinorrhea, and decreased activity. The patient was from the same litter as the rat described in case 1, and they were conspecifics.
On presentation, the rat appeared in good body condition (6/9) but displayed tachypnea (>180 breaths/min), tachycardia (>500 beats/min), muffled heart sounds, and decreased lung sounds.
The owner declined blood work but permitted a radiographic evaluation of the patient. The rat was sedated
Discussion
Cardiovascular diseases in small exotic mammals are common; however, clinical reports of diagnosis and treatment of these diseases are rare in pet exotic mammals. The most common cardiac diseases diagnosed and reported in small exotic mammals are DCM, valvular insufficiency, and myocarditis, and less commonly reported are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and pericardial or pleural effusions (individually or in various combinations).2
DCM occurs in dogs and African hedgehogs of all ages, but the risk
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