Abstract

Objective- The aim of this study was to test the repeatability, the variability, and to establish the reference values of PW measurements in healthy Markhoz goats. Design- Retrospective study. Animals- 20 female Markhoz goats. Procedure- Using a standardized PW Doppler echocardiographic protocol, 20healthy adult unsedated female Markhoz goats were investigated three times at one-day intervals by the same observer. Mitral, tricuspid, aortic and pulmonary flows were measured from a right parasternal view, and mitral and aortic flows were also measured from a left parasternal view. The difference between left and right side measurements and the intraobserver inter-day repeatability were tested and then the reference values of PW Doppler echocardiographic parameters in healthy adult female Markhoz goals were established. Results- As documented in other species, all caprine PW Doppler parameters demonstrated a poor inter-day repeatability and a moderate variability. Tricuspid and pulmonary flows were best evaluated on the right side whereas mitral and aortic flows were best obtained on the left side, and reference values are reported for healthy adult Markhoz goats. Conclusions- PW Doppler echocardiography allows the measurement of intracardiac blood flow indices in goats. The reference values establishment will help interpreting these indices of cardiac function in clinical cardiac cases and developing animal models for human cardiology research.

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