Objective- to describe the vertebral heart score (VHS) measurement in the lateral view of the clinically normal native dog in khorasan province, Iran Design- Descriptive study Animals- 30 clinically healthy native dog Material and Methods- Normal dogs in clinical, laboratory, electrocardiography and radiography examination were recruited in this study. Both true lateral view of thoracic cavity were imaged. VHS was measured in both left and right lateral projection. Results- Mean±SD of the VHS in right-to-left and left-to-right projection was about 9.76±0.68 and 9.78±0.42, respectively. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between VHS in lateral views. Weight, age and stage of respiratory phase showed no significant correlation with VHS. Conclusion and Clinical Relevance- Mean VHS in native dog in khorasan province was in the general reference range reported previously. It is important to take into account the breed specific data in evaluation of cardiac size in radiography.

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