The impact of anxiety on canine heart function: a study using echocardiographic techniques

TL;DR

This study shows that anxiety in dogs is linked to specific heart function changes, similar to how stress affects the human heart.

Contribution

The study provides novel evidence that canine anxiety is associated with measurable echocardiographic changes.

Findings

General anxiety in dogs correlates with increased fractional shortening (FS%).

Phonophobia is associated with larger left ventricular internal dimension in diastole (LVIDd).

Aggression correlates with a higher left atrial-to-aortic root ratio (LA/Ao).

Abstract

Canine anxiety is increasingly recognized in veterinary practice, yet its cardiovascular effects remain poorly defined. This study evaluated 36 anxious dogs and 20 healthy controls using the validated Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) and standardized echocardiography. Significant associations were identified between anxiety subtypes and cardiac parameters: general anxiety correlated with increased fractional shortening (FS%; r = 0.663, p = 0.001), phonophobia with larger left ventricular internal dimension in diastole (LVIDd; r = 0.681, p < 0.001), and aggression with a higher left atrial-to-aortic root ratio (LA/Ao; r = 0.475, p = 0.008). Rhythm irregularities were suspected in nearly half of anxious dogs, though classification was limited without ECG confirmation. By contrast, correlations in controls were weak and non-significant.These results provide novel evidence that chronic behavioral anxiety is associated with measurable echocardiographic alterations in dogs, paralleling mechanisms described in human psychocardiology. Incorporating behavioral screening into routine veterinary practice may support early identification and monitoring of dogs at risk for anxiety-related cardiac changes. Larger longitudinal studies with matched controls, ECG verification, and size-indexed parameters are warranted to confirm causality and guide preventive care strategies.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-025-05074-3.

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