Description of clinical findings, diagnosis, and treatment of congestive heart failure in 13 goats.

OBJECTIVE

Congestive heart failure (CHF) in goats is rarely described. This case series aimed to describe the presenting complaints, clinical findings, treatment, and outcome of goats diagnosed with CHF.

ANIMALS: 13 goats diagnosed with CHF from 2008 to 2022 admitted to a tertiary referral center.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION: 8 goats had primary cardiac disease, and 5 had secondary causes of heart failure. None of the goats diagnosed with CHF were initially presented for cardiovascular disease. The predominant physical examination finding was tachycardia (HR, > 100 beats/min; median, 130 beats/min; range, 80 to 190 beats/min; n = 12), with a normal cardiac rhythm (12). Other common findings included effusion, edema, and venous congestion.

RESULTS

Common clinicopathologic findings included elevated plasma GGT enzyme activity (median, 139 U/L; range, 69 to 792 U/L; n = 11) and a normal total solids concentration (median, 6.4 g/dL; range, 4.2 to 8.6 g/dL; 11). Imaging findings included the presence of effusion in at least 1 cavity for all goats. Seven goats were treated with cardiac-targeted therapies including β-blockers (n = 2), digoxin (3), benazepril (1), and furosemide (5). One goat diagnosed with atrial fibrillation underwent successful transcutaneous electrical cardioversion for treatment of the arrhythmia. Three of the 7 goats (43%) treated with cardiac-targeted therapy survived to discharge, 1 goat was referred for radiation, and 9 of the 13 goats did not survive to discharge.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Congestive heart failure should be considered in goats presenting with tachycardia, effusions with a normal peripheral total solids concentration, and elevated GGT plasma activity. Although CHF offers a poor prognosis based on the cases in this series, management of CHF is possible.