Electrocardiographic evaluation in dogs of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro

ABSTRACT. Lima A.M., Ferreira L.T., Silva S.C., Jorge S.F., Ramos M.T., Pascon J.P.E., Moreira R.M. & Abidu-Figueiredo M. [Electrocardiographic evaluation in dogs of the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro.] Avaliação eletrocardiográfica em cães da Polícia Militar do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 38(Supl.2):61-66, 2016. Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, Km 7, Seropédica, RJ 23897-970, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] In Rio de Janeiro, the Army, the Military Police and the Municipal Guard use dogs for routine patrol and detection of drugs, weapons, explosives and people. The most used breeds are German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Malinois Belgian Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, and Doberman. Although these animals follow a protocol of physical activity, the kennel does not include a routine cardiovascular assessment and preventive hematologic exams. Forty four adult dogs were used, 13 Labrador Retrievers, 12 Malinois Belgian Shepherds, 10 German Shepherds, eight Dobermans and five Dutch Shepherds, all clinically healthy and from the Military Police Battalion of Action with Dogs of the Rio de Janeiro state. The animals underwent computed electrocardiographic and hematological evaluations. All electrocardiographic variables were correlated with body weight. Among the five breeds evaluated in the present study, only the Labrador breed showed a positive correlation between the duration of the QT interval and weight. The other electrocardiographic variables did not show any correlation with body weight. There were differences in the electrical shaft angle in Dobermann breed dogs. Labrador breed dogs showed the highest values for P wave amplitude and the breed Dobermann the lowest values. Breed dogs Labrador and German Shepherd showed the highest values for R wave amplitude and the breed Dobermann the lowest values. The QT segment as Labrador breed dogs is directly proportional to body weight.