Canine and Feline Cardiomyopathy

Introduction Primary or idiopathic cardiomyopathy is a term used for a variety of conditions affecting the heart of both animals and man with no clearly identified cause. Although the term secondary cardiomyopathy has been used with specific causative factors such as ischemic cardiomyopathy, drug induced cardiomyopathy, toxic cardiomyopathy or infectious agent induced cardiomyopathy, recent classifications would restrict the use of cardiomyopathy to those conditions with no clearly defined cause. In dogs, cardiomyopathy is most common in large breed dogs and some familial relationships have been identified. In the cat, some breed relationships have been identified. Transgenic mice with cardiomyopathy have been produced by insertion of a DNA sequence which transmits the single heavy myosin gene abnormality of a human form of familial cardiomyopathy [1]. Clinically, cardiomyopathy may result in sudden death, but more often death is preceded by congestive heart failure.