This study was carried out to determine the cardiac reference parameters of Karabash dogs, a breed specific to Turkey, using M-mode and 2-D echocardiography techniques. The material of the study comprised 25 male and 25 female Karabash dogs aged between 2 and 6 and weighing between 30 and 51 kg. The M-mode echocardiographic measurements were taken from the longitudinal axis of the 4th and 6th right intercostal space under the guidance of 2-D echocardiography. Echocardiographic parameters such as the interventricular septum, left ventricular internal dimension and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVW) increased parallel to body weight (BW) and body surface area (BSA), and LVW was higher in males than in females. It was observed that fractional shortening and ejection fraction values decreased according to BW and the increase in BSA. It was also determined that the right ventricular dimension, left atrial dimension (LAD) and aortic root dimension (AOD) increased in connection with the increase in BW and BSA, and that of these parameters, LAD and AOD were higher in males than in females. In the mitral valve measurements, DE, CA and CE amplitudes and D-E and E-F slopes values increased parallel to the increases in BW and BSA, and that of these parameters only the CA amplitude was statistically higher in females than in males. It was concluded that the CA/CE ratio of the mitral valve was higher in females than in males. The reference parameters determined according to BW, BSA and sex in Karabash dogs, a breed originating from Turkey, will provide a source of information for further studies on this breed.

This study was carried out to determine the cardiac reference parameters of Karabash dogs, a breed specific to Turkey, using M-mode and 2-D echocardiography techniques. The material of the study comprised 25 male and 25 female Karabash dogs aged between 2 and 6 and weighing between 30 and 51 kg. The M-mode echocardiographic measurements were taken from the longitudinal axis of the 4th and 6th right intercostal space under the guidance of 2-D echocardiography. Echocardiographic parameters such as the interventricular septum, left ventricular internal dimension and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVW) increased parallel to body weight (BW) and body surface area (BSA), and LVW was higher in males than in females. It was observed that fractional shortening and ejection fraction values decreased according to BW and the increase in BSA. It was also determined that the right ventricular dimension, left atrial dimension (LAD) and aortic root dimension (AOD) increased in connection with the increase in BW and BSA, and that of these parameters, LAD and AOD were higher in males than in females. In the mitral valve measurements, DE, CA and CE amplitudes and D-E and E-F slopes values increased parallel to the increases in BW and BSA, and that of these parameters only the CA amplitude was statistically higher in females than in males. It was concluded that the CA/CE ratio of the mitral valve was higher in females than in males. The reference parameters determined according to BW, BSA and sex in Karabash dogs, a breed originating from Turkey, will provide a source of information for further studies on this breed.