Cardiology

Veterinary Cardiologists Help Solve Canine and Feline Heart Problems

Like humans, dogs and cats can suffer from a variety of problems related to their heart and lungs.

What Is Veterinary Cardiology?

Veterinary Cardiology is the branch of medicine that treats diseases of the canine and feline cardiovascular system, which includes the pet's heart and blood vessels. This encompasses such problems as canine and feline congestive heart failure, hypertension, dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and valvular disorders. Because the function of the pet's heart and lungs are interrelated, veterinary cardiologists are also knowledgeable about lung disease as well as diseases of the chest cavity. A board certified veterinary cardiologist is a licensed veterinarian who has obtained intensive, additional training in veterinary cardiology and has been certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).

While your general practitioner veterinarian can diagnose and treat many health problems, certain diseases and conditions require the care of a doctor who has had specialized, intensive training in veterinary cardiology in order to provide the very best outcome for your pet.

Symptoms of Canine or Feline Heart Problems

• Weakness
• Exercise intolerance
• Shortness of breath or apparent difficulty in breathing (due to fluid in the lungs or chest cavity)
• Fast breathing at rest (although don't confuse this with normal panting)
• Collapse
• Fainting spells
• Cough
• Elevated heart rate

What Can Be Done if My Pet Has A Heart Problem?

Many of the same types of diagnostic tools and treatment options that are used to help keep human heart patients alive and healthy are also available to pets. For example, sophisticated diagnostic options (see box below) can help determine whether heart problems are present and, if so, assess their severity. Depending on your pet's particular problem, cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, pacemaker implantation, and cardiac surgery to repair heart defects have all become relatively commonplace. In addition, many of the medications used in pets are similar to those that are also used in humans.

Will My Regular Veterinarian Still Be Involved?

In most cases, your regular veterinarian will still supervise your pet's veterinary care. In other cases, your referral doctor may take over the majority of your pet's medical care. It depends on your pet's particular disease and condition.

Did You Know?

According to the AVMA, one out of every 10 dogs and cats has heart disease. Many pets with heart disease are asymptomatic.

If you suspect that your dog or cat has a heart problem, contact the veterinary cardiologists at VCA today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Additional Training Does A Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist Have?

A veterinarian who has been awarded this specialty status by the ACVIM will list the initials, 'DACVIM (Cardiology),' after his or her DVM degree. Or, the veterinarian may indicate that he or she is a 'Diplomate' of the ACVIM (cardiology). The word 'Diplomate' typically means the specialist has achieved the following:
• Obtained a traditional veterinary degree (three to four years of college plus four years of veterinary school).
• Complete a one year internship and an additional two to three years of advanced training, including a residency at an approved program where the doctor will have trained with some of the best experts in the field and obtained hands on experience. As part of their training program, veterinary cardiologists receive extensive training in a variety of diagnostic imaging techniques, including veterinary echocardiography and angiography.
• Following this training, the aspiring veterinary cardiologist must pass a series of examinations covering all aspects of general internal medicine and veterinary cardiology.

After completing and passing all of these rigorous requirements, the veterinarian is then recognized by peers as a board certified specialist in veterinary cardiology, and will list the credentials, 'DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology),' after his or her name. When your pet needs the care of a veterinary cardiologist, years of intensive training and additional education will be focused on helping him or her to recover from his or her problem or enjoy the highest quality of life possible.

Why Does My Pet Need A Veterinary Cardiologist?

Just as your own primary care physician may feel the need to refer you to the care of a specialist from time to time, your general practitioner veterinarian may feel your pet needs a veterinary cardiologist to help diagnose or treat a problem. While your general practitioner veterinarian can handle many aspects of your pet's care, just as in human medicine, there is sometimes a need for the attention of a specialist. You can be assured that a veterinarian who knows when to refer you and your pet for more specialized
diagnostic work or treatment is one that is caring and committed to ensuring that your pet receives the highest standard of medical care for his or her condition. While in some cases, your veterinarian may be able to simply consult with a specialist about your pet's care, in other cases it is necessary to actually refer you and your pet to the specialist for more advanced diagnostics and treatment. Board certified veterinary cardiologists also have access to specialized diagnostic or treatment tools that a general practitioner veterinarian may not have.
 

What Is Canine and Feline Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) ?

Canine or Feline Heart disease refers to a condition where there is an abnormality of the pet's heart. Canine and Feline Heart failure exists when the heart is no longer able to meet the circulatory needs of the body. Symptoms of canine and feline heart failure include cough, edema, and rapid breathing. Symptoms of heart failure may be more pronounced in active pets as they are more likely to place a demand on their cardiovascular systems whereas the problem may go undetected in more sedentary pets.
The severity of pet heart failure is often staged, using the following guideline:
Asymptomatic: Heart disease may be detectable in the pet but there are no outward signs. A cardiac murmur or arrhythmia may be present.
Mild to moderate heart failure: Clinical signs of heart failure are in evidence at rest or with mild exercise.
Advanced heart failure: Critical clinical signs, such as respiratory distress, ascites (fluid in the body cavity), and profound exercise intolerance, are in evidence. With each advancing stage, the prognosis worsens and the need for treatment of the dog or cat increases.
 

What is Chronic Valve Disease?

Chronic Value Disease (CVD), or endocardiosis, is a group of diseases characterized by degeneration and fibrosis of the heart's mitral and/or tricuspid valves. It most commonly affects the mitral valve in dogs, cats, and horses. It is less common in cats, but occurs more commonly in the smaller dog breeds, particularly the miniature poodle, Shetland sheepdog, dachshund, and cocker spaniel.
 

What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy?

While valve disease is the more common heart ailment in smaller breeds of dogs, larger breeds are more prone to suffer from dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy involves the dilation and thinning of the heart's chambers, which can lead to lowered heart function and, eventually, congestive heart failure.
 

What Is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?

The most common heart disease in cats, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart muscle disease in which the walls of the heart, specifically the left ventricle, become abnormally thickened. As the disease progresses, it alters the structure of the heart and impairs its function. It is a potentially serious
disease that is found in cats of all ages. A cat that seems healthy can suddenly become very ill or even die. There currently is no cure, although there are medications veterinarians and veterinary cardiologists can prescribe to help alleviate the symptoms.
 

What Is A Canine or Feline Heart Murmur?

A heart murmur is a sound caused by turbulence in the cat or dog's blood flow. Murmurs can occur if valves in the heart are leaking, either due to congenital problems or age related changes. Pet heart murmurs are graded according to severity. Mild murmurs, especially in older dogs, may not require treatment.
 

What Is Pericardial Effusion?

This is a buildup of fluid in the membranous sac surrounding the pet's heart. This can be caused by various types of heart tumors although, in many cases, no apparent cause can be found. If a large amount of fluid is present, it can compress the heart and prevent it from working properly. Heart sounds will be muffled and, on x-rays, the heart may appear balloon-like due to the presence of the fluid.
 

Heartworm Disease: When Prevention Fails

Veterinary cardiologists are often called upon when a pet is suffering from a suspected heartworm infection. Although there are excellent preventive medications on the market, veterinarians still see cases of this dreaded disease either due to owners forgetting to administer the preventive medication or not realizing that their pet is at risk in a particular region or time of year. The good news is that, at least for dogs, treatment options have improved. There are drugs that can be administered to remove the worms. Cases of heartworm infection in cats, although comparatively more rare, are more difficult to deal with. When a heartworm infection is detected in cats, the treatment is typically limited to close monitoring of the cat and supportive care until the worms die off. In rare cases, surgical removal of the worms may be recommended.
 

The Veterinary Cardiology Exam: What to Expect

The veterinary cardiologist will start with a complete physical exam. Canine or feline heart murmurs can often be heard and detected with a simple stethoscope. The veterinary cardiologist will also check your pet's pulse rate, the color of the mucous membranes, as well as examine him or her for any physical evidence of fluid buildup in the abdomen or extremities. Other diagnostic tests that are useful when attempting to pinpoint or rule out heart disease include:

Chest X-Rays: These pictures allow the veterinary cardiologist to assess your pet's heart and lungs and also provide information that can help tell the doctor whether or not your pet is suffering from congestive heart failure.

Veterinary Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): This test records the electrical activity of the heart and can tell whether heartbeats are normal or not. An ECG has a recognizable pattern showing the 'peaks and valleys' of the heart's activity. Each point on the tracing depicts how well each specific part of the heart is doing its job. An ECG can provide valuable information about a suspected arrhythmia.

Cardiac Ultrasound (Echocardiogram): This test allows the visual examination of the interior of the heart, its valves, and its surrounding structures via ultrasonography. It is a sophisticated diagnostic tool which, when combined with other components of a complete cardiac workup'"history, physical examination, cardiac and pulmonary auscultation, ECG, x-rays, and other pertinent tests'"can provide veterinary cardiologists with a complete diagnostic picture of your pet's illness and help outline a treatment course for him or her.

Doppler Echocardiography: A more advanced form of ultrasonography, this sophisticated technology can enhance the diagnostic information gained from standard two-dimensional ultrasounds. In short, sound waves are bounced off of moving red blood cells in order to determine the movement and force of blood flow within the heart. There are three types of Doppler ultrasound: continuous wave, pulsed wave, and color flow. Each type is helpful in diagnosing and/or assessing the severity of different types of heart problems.

Holter Monitor: This is a 24-hour continuous ECG recording that can provide information about heart activity while the pet is at home and engaged in normal activities. The pet wears the monitor in a specially fitted vest.

Blood Pressure Monitoring: Your pet's blood pressure can be checked and monitored in much the same way as is done in people.

 

How is the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital different from other specialty hospitals?

Welcome to VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. If you are new to our hospital, I hope your experience will be as pleasant as possible and we hope that we can live up to your expectations. If you are returning, we are pleased that you have once again chosen our hospital to help meet your pet's health care needs. In order to improve our service, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little about our hospital, how it functions and how we can both work to provide your pet with the best care possible. VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital is one of the largest private small animal hospitals in the country. We have referral hospital for veterinarians in Southern California and we are a teaching hospital providing post-graduate education for veterinarians. We have a professional staff of over 25 veterinarians including specialists in such disciplines as internal medicine, surgery, oncology, radiation therapy, dermatology, ophthalmology, radiology, and cardiology. Specialists are available 7-days-a-week on an appointment basis. One advantage of a large hospital like VCA WLA is that all cases receive the benefit of input from a number of veterinarians all of whom lend their special expertise to the problem at hand.

We are open 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, 365 days of the year to provide comprehensive care. However there are instances when waiting times to see a doctor may be long depending on the time of day and the number of emergencies that are being handled. To avoid unnecessary delays, especially if you don't have a medical emergency, you may wish to call ahead to determine if there is a wait to see a doctor or to schedule an appointment with one of our staff doctors at a time convenient to you.

VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital has one of the largest graduate teaching programs in the country through our internship and residency programs. Interns and residents are graduate veterinarians who are seeking to obtain additional supervised training and expertise in a facility such as ours where the caseload and the availability of specialists ensures an excellent teaching environment. Competition for these positions is intense and those selected are amongst the brightest in their class.

Having a sick or injured pet can be very stressful and we will work to help alleviate your concerns while we tend to the needs of your pet. In order to help improve our service, we do wish to remind you of a few items that should help. First, if you need to obtain a prescription refill please let us know 24 hours in advance. All prescription refills must be approved by a doctor. We need this time to obtain approval and have your prescription available. Secondly, when your pet is hospitalized, the attending doctor will be calling to give you an update after 11 a.m. in the morning. Prior to 11 a.m., your doctor will be in rounds where all the hospitalized cases are discussed amongst our medical and surgical staff and unless there is an emergency, your doctor will not be able to take your phone calls until this time. This allows us to obtain a wide range of opinions regarding your pet's condition, and obtain the input from all the specialists on duty that day. We work as a team, which helps in providing more complete medical care. Of course, we do have visiting hours every evening from 7 to 8 p.m. so that you can visit with your pet, talk face to face with the attending doctor, and help in the healing process. Lastly, if your pet is being admitted in the morning for an elective procedure (simple mass excisions, endoscopy, etc.) your pet should be able to go home the same evening between the hours of 7-10:30 p.m. This helps us ensure that your pet has completely recovered from anesthesia and is ready to return home after evening rounds have been completed. It is possible that on rare occasions, elective procedures may be performed later in the day or even postponed until the following day if unforeseen emergencies arise which demand our immediate attention. We will always place the medical needs of a patient above those of a schedule and if we need to unexpectedly change you pet's procedure date or time we will be sure to notify you as soon as we are aware of the situation.

We are primarily concerned about your pet's health and will do our best to provide the best health care possible. This of course involves a fee and at times veterinary bills can seem quite expensive. At first this may be hard to understand but the reality is that veterinary medicine is not all that different from human medicine. Veterinarians spend as much time as physicians in school and veterinarians can provide many if not all of the services that would be available to you or I in a human hospital. Our veterinary facility is also unique in many respects. Our hospital is quite large. We employ over 30 doctors and over 150 technicians, front office and housekeeping staff. VCA WLA also has a large specialty staff and a great deal of sophisticated equipment, which helps us to provide the best care possible. Lastly, we are open 24-hours-a-day, with doctors and technicians always available to see any emergencies as they arise and to monitor those pets that are hospitalized. We will do our best to provide you with written initial estimates and to keep you updated on a daily basis on the status of your account when your pet is hospitalized. It is expected that 100 % of the estimate will be left as a deposit when your pet is admitted (not necessary for routine or elective procedures) and that the balance will be paid in full at the time of discharge. While we do not offer payment plans we can offer you a financing plan through CareCredit. Again our front office staff can help you with these arrangements.

Of course, the buck stops here. If you have any comments/suggestions/complaints or praise, I am always available. I can promise that I will listen to all of your concerns and compliments as we are always looking to improve our service and patient care. Feel free to call (310-473-2951) or fax (310-477-7412) and I will get back to you as soon as possible. You may also e-mail me at David.Bruyette@vcamail.com. I would like to thank you again for selecting VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital and I hope that both you and your pet have a pleasant experience.

Sincerely, David Bruyette, DVM
Medical Director
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
 

Services Offered in Cardiology

• Electrocardiography (ECG)
• Echocardiography
• Blood chemistry analyzer
• Ultrasonography
• Continuous ECG monitoring and telemetry
• Cardiac output monitoring
• Transcervical insemination and diagnostics

Veterinarians in Cardiology

• Lynn Tsugawa, DVM