Infective Endocarditis in Dogs: Diagnosis and Therapy

Infective endocarditis (IE) is the invasion of a heart valve or endocardium by a microbe. Difficulty in diagnosis and underreporting of IE in dogs contribute to the reported low prevalence rate of the disease The mitral and aortic valves are the most commonly affected valves in small animals Common causative microbial agents include Staphylococcus spp, Streptococcus spp, Escherichia coli, and Bartonella spp Congestive heart failure, immune-mediated disease, and thromboembolism are the major complications of IE Diagnosis requires detection of a vegetative valvular lesion on echocardiography Long term (8-12 week) antibiotic therapy is necessary