Our board-certified veterinary cardiologist at Southwest Florida Veterinary Specialists specializes in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular (heart and vessels) disease in animals.
What is veterinary cardiology?
While your family veterinarian can diagnose and treat many health problems very well, for some conditions your pet will need specialized diagnostics and treatment to get the best possible prognosis and outcomes.
Our board-certified cardiologist in Bonita Springs is trained to diagnose and treat cardiovascular (heart and vessels) disease in your pet.
This includes, but is not limited to, such disorders as degenerative valve disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, feline cardiomyopathies, cardiac tumors, pericardial effusion, congenital heart diseases, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and pulmonary and systemic hypertension.
Our Board-Certified Veterinary Cardiologist
This specialist has advanced training in the heart and circulatory system. A veterinarian typically completes a one-year internship followed by extensive specialized training in an approved residency training program (usually 3 to 5 years), and rigorous examinations to become a board-certified veterinary cardiologist.
How are heart conditions assessed?
Your animal's medical history and current medications will be reviewed during your appointment. The cardiologist will perform a complete physical exam of your pet and may recommend additional testing based on the initial findings.
Depending on your pet's condition, diagnostic testing may include:
- Blood Pressure
- Radiographs
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram
- Blood pressure measurement
- Thoracic radiographs (chest x-rays)
- Holter monitor
- Interventional procedures – Interventional surgeries are minimally invasive procedures, often performed through a blood vessel versus opening a body cavity
- Pacemaker implantation (transvenous)
- Balloon Valvuloplasty for pulmonic stenosis or other stenoses
- PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) closures
- Diagnostic catheterizations for pressure assessment
- Angiographic Studies for complex congenital cardiac defects
- Heartworm Extraction
