Cardiology

Services We Offer

Medical Cardiology

Medical cardiology services include basic and advanced diagnostic procedures for cardiovascular diseases, as well as medical (drug and dietary) management of heart diseases in animals:

• Electrocardiography (ECG): study of the electrical rhythm of the heart
• Echocardiography: utrasound study of the heart
• Transesophageal Echocardiography: advanced ultrasound study of the heart utilizing a special probe passed into the esophagus
• Thoracic radiography: X-ray study of the heart and thorax
• 24-hour ambulatory ECG (Holter) and event monitoring: extended outpatient monitoring of cardiac rhythm
• Cardiac catheterization and angiography: measurement of heart function and heart imaging accomplished by passing catheters and/or instruments into the heart
• Advanced cardiac electrodiagnostics: advanced diagnostic study of cardiac arrhythmias involving passage of electrodes into the heart

Medical cardiology services also provides standard and advanced medical care for animals with heart disease including:

• Medical management of Heart Failure
• Medical management of cardiac arrhythmias, abnormalities of the heart rate or rhythm
• Medical management of cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure
• Management of thromboembolism (blood clots) within antithrombotic drugs (blood thinners)
• Cardioprotective therapies to slow progression of heart disease

Interventional Cardiology

Interventional cardiac procedures involve the passage of catheters into the heart via peripheral vessels to correct cardiac disorders. We perform interventional cardiac procedures for treatment of a variety of heart diseases in animals.

Interventional cardiac procedures available include:

• Balloon dilation of congenital valve stenosis: a procedure to increase the width of narrow heart valves
• Catheter-based closure of patent ductus arteriosus: a procedure to correct a common congenital heart defect
• Ablation therapy for cardiac arrhythmias: destroying diseased tissues to correct the heart rate or rhythm

Cardiac Surgery

Basic and advanced cardiac surgery to correct a variety of cardiac conditions is available through the cardiology service including:

• Closed-heart surgery: surgery performed on the beating heart to correct congenital and acquired heart defects (e.g., PDA ligation)
• Brief circulatory arrest: open-heart surgery performed during a period of brief (less than two minute) circulatory arrest (e.g., tumor removal)
• Open-heart surgery: open-heart surgery performed with the aid of a heart-lung machine (cardiopulmonary bypass). Examples include closure of ventricular septal defect (hole in the heart) and valve replacement or repair.
• Hybrid-heart surgery: combined surgical and interventional (catheter-based) cardiac procedure (e.g., transcatheter valve replacement)

Equine Cardiology

We have veterinary cardiologists to provide diagnostic and therapeutic expertise for horses with heart murmurs, cardiac rhythm abnormalities, heart failure, congenital malformations of the heart, poor performance and collapse. In addition we can offer management advice for owners and trainers of horses with cardiovascular abnormalities. Learn more...