Preliminary Evaluation of M-Mode, B-Mode, and X-Strain® Echocardiographic Indices Before and During Therapy in Dogs Affected by Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Clinical examination and m-mode, b-mode, and two-dimensional speckle tracking evaluations with XStrain® software were carried out in two dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy before and during therapy. During follow-up, the two dogs presented not only in better clinical condition, but also with improvements in m-mode and b-mode indices, as well as increased values of strain and strain rate. Consequently, XStrain® evaluation should be included in routine echocardiography to better understand the pathogenesis and evolution of disease characterized by reduced myocardial contractility, optimize the therapeutic protocol during follow-up, and contribute to finding the range of normal values for strain and strain rate in the dog.