What does it mean to be a Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist?

A veterinary cardiologist is a specialist that has advanced training in the heart and circulatory system following graduation from their veterinary college.

After graduation, the veterinarian must complete a one year rotating internship followed by extensive specialized training in an approved residency training program that takes three to five years. The residency program is an intensive training program that meets the standards of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Cardiology who sets up specific criteria and caseload requirements. This training culminates with a comprehensive examination covering all aspects of veterinary cardiology.

Board certified veterinary cardiologists are an integral part of your animal’s health care team from the time a potential cardiac abnormality is noted. Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy of cardiac conditions helps your animal live a longer and healthier life.

Board certified veterinary cardiologists focus on diagnosing and treating disease of the heart and lungs, which include:

Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Heart muscle disease
Age related changes to the valves of the heart (Degenerative mitral valve disease)
Coughing and other breathing problems
Congenital (present at birth) heart defects
Cardiac arrhythmias (problems with the rate and/or rhythm of your animal’s heart)
Diseases of the pericardium (sac surrounding the heart)
Cardiac tumors
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs)

Some of the advanced diagnostic testing or treatments that can be provided include:

Echocardiography (sonogram) – non-invasive ultrasound imaging of the heart
Electrocardiography (ECG) – non-invasive electrical reading of the heart’s rhythm
Blood pressure evaluation
Holter Monitor – 24 hour ECG performed at home
Radiography (x-rays) of the chest and lungs
Surgical repair of congenital heart defects
Cardiac catheterization procedures
Balloon valvuloplasty to dilate narrowed valves
Pacemaker implantation for animals with too slow of a heart rate
OFA Heart Registry Certification for breeding programs

What to Expect

Our referral coordinator will contact you to set up an appointment with one of our board certified internal medicine specialists.
A questionnaire will be sent to you for completion. This is an important step to getting some detailed history about your pet to the internal medicine team. Please fill this online questionnaire out prior to your appointment.
We typically schedule appointments on weekdays with the plan to perform a echocardiogram at the time of your appointment.
When your pet is discharged, you will be provided with a detailed set of discharge instructions to help you understand what diagnostic tests were performed, your pet’s diagnosis, treatment options and prognosis.
We will follow up with your veterinarian so that everybody involved in your pet’s care has up-to-date information.