IDIOPATHIC DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY IN DOGS - SURVIVAL AND PROGNOSTIC INDICATORS

To further define the prognosis and identify clinical findings predict ive for survival in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), we perform ed Kaplan Meier survival analysis of 37 dogs with idiopathic DCM. Surv ival analysis showed that the 50% probability of survival occurred at 2.3 months. Probability of survival at 1 year was 37.5% and at 2 years was 28%. Bivariate Cox proportional hazard ratios identified pleural effusion and pulmonary edema, both signs of congestive heart failure, as independent prognostic indicators for dogs with DCM (P <.01). Hazar d ratios for these prognostic indicators were 2.354 and 3.291, respect ively. Multivariate Cox stepwise regression identified pleural effusio n, left ventricular free-wall thickening fraction, ventricular ectopy. and weight loss as significant prognostic indicators for dogs with DC M. Because of the retrospective nature of this study, the effects of d ifferent drug treatments were not evaluated. The type of cardiac-relat ed death, progressive failure versus sudden death, was not addressed i n this study and requires further evaluation. (C) 1995 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.