We are equipped to handle your patient’s medical cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary needs with our state of the art diagnostic cardiology equipment, the same as used in humans, now available for your patient at Vancouver Animal Emergency & Referral Centre.

Cardiology Department Services:

• Cardiac troponin I
• Digoxin levels
• 12-Lead electronic electrocardiogram (ECG)
• 24-hour (ambulatory) Holter monitor
• Doppler Manometry and Oscillometric Blood Pressure Evaluation
• Thoracic radiographs
• Epic 5 Phillips cardiac ultrasound machine for transthoracic 2D, M-mode, color and spectral Doppler, and tissue Doppler evaluation, in addition to transesophageal echocardiography
• Diagnosis of both congenital and acquired heart diseases, as well as arrhythmias
• Pre anesthetic cardiovascular evaluation
• Electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation
• Pericardiocentesis
• Congestive heart failure and arrhythmia short and long term medical management

The Veterinary Cardiology Exam – what to expect:

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

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

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

Echocardiogram (Cardiac Ultrasound) with Doppler: This test allows the visual examination of the interior of the heart, its walls, its valves, and its surrounding structures via ultrasonography. It can also gain information about blood flow (direction, velocity) within the heart (color and spectral Doppler), as well as heart muscle velocity (tissue Doppler). 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, radiographs, 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. Occasionally, more advanced diagnostics, such as CT scans, may be necessary.
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.

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