Normal Clinical Electroretinography Parameters of Healthy Pharaoh Hounddogs

Electroretinography (ERG) is a noninvasive, objective and sensitive technique with useful clinical application for evaluation of retinal function. Large number of factors, including the breed, anesthesia, environment, and equipment, has an impact on the ERG parameters in dogs; therefore, each clinic should provide reproducible ERG results for individual breed under specific conditions in order to use data for diagnostic purposes. The aim of the present study was to establish the reference values of ERG parameters in Pharao hound dog, because such data are missing in the literature. Fourteen healthy dogs (twenty-eight eyes records) were included in our study. The examination was made with a retinographic ERG unit supplied with an ERG-jet lens electrode, under general anaesthesia using medetomedine, ketamine, diazepam and isoflurane. The reference intervals (RIs) of ERG parameters of Pharao hound dog were reported, after statistical analysis of data was performed in agreement with the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) guidelines for the determination of RIs in veterinary species.