Pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography was used to study blood flow across the cardiac valves in 30 five-year-old cats (average body weight = 4.08kg). Animals were sedated using a combination of ketamin (12mg/kg, IM) and acepromazin (0.04mg/kg, IM). Peak and mean velocities were determined, and blood flow patterns were recorded at the four cardiac valves. All variables, except those characterizing aortic valve flow, were positively correlated with heart rate. Blood flow variables were not correlated, however, with body weight; and there were no differences between males and females.
cat; pulsed Doppler; echocardiography; cardiac blood flow
