ACVIM to update mitral-valve consensus statement

Montreal, Canada

-- An updated mitral-valve disease consensus statement was presented at this month's American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) meeting in Montreal.

The statement will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM.)

The original mitral-valve consensus statement was put out three years ago in Kentucky, but was never intended to be published, explains to Dr. Steve Ettinger, one of nine members on the mitral-valve committee.

Instead, the consensus statement was considered a working document, passed through the veterinary community allowing the entire group to look at it and offer revisions.

"This will be the most recent, up-to-date information on mitral-valve disease based on all of the evidence available," according to Ettinger.

Mitral-valve disease is the most common cardiac problem in small dogs, Ettinger says.

The consensus statement is in the process of being revised based on comments received.

Ettinger hopes it will be published soon.

"These are not meant be dramatic changes," he says of the consensus statement. "It is not meant to shock the profession. The consensus is based on medical evidence. What it does is set down the process by which veterinarians in practice sit down and say 'this helps me treat my patient based upon the disease.'"