Development of artificial model of caval syndrome in canine heartworm disease.

In order to develop an artificial model of caval syndrome (dirofilarial hemoglobinuria), heartworm-like silicone tubes were inserted into the tricuspid valve orifice and right atrium of dogs. Fifteen to 25 tubes with some knots were inserted through the posterior vena cava in 6 dogs (knot-tube group), 7 to 12 tubes without knot (small-number group) through the jugular vein in another 5 dogs, or 25 to 35 tubes (large-number group) in yet another 5 dogs. The tubes remained in the right atrium, and a part of them protruded into the tricuspid valve orifice. The number of tubes at the tricuspid valve orifice was the greatest in the large-number group. After tube insertion, the signs of so-called "caval syndrome", such as systolic cardiac murmur, jugular pulse, anemia, and so on, were observed in almost all cases of the 3 groups, the signs were severest in the large-number group. Urine hemoglobin was detected in almost all cases of the knot-tube and large-number groups, and in 1 case in the small-number group. Ascites was observed in 1 case of the knot-tube group at 6 weeks, in 1 case of the small-number group at 7 days and in 3 cases of the large-number group at 7 days after insertion.