Veterinary cardiology

Veterinary cardiology is a specialized field of veterinary medicine devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of heart and blood vessel diseases in animals. As in humans, heart disease is a common cause of poor health and shortened lifespan in our pets. Thanks to advances in this field, veterinary professionals can now significantly improve the quality of life of animals suffering from various cardiac problems, prolonging their happy years with loving owners.

Don't wait until your pet's condition worsens. Modern diagnostic methods, such as cardiac ultrasound and ECG, are also available in veterinary cardiology in Krasnodar. These procedures are painless and take minimal time, but can save your pet's life. Make an appointment if you notice any alarming symptoms or just want to make sure everything is fine with your pet's heart.

Why is veterinary cardiology critical?

Heart disease in animals often occurs hidden, especially in the early stages. Owners may not notice warning signs until the pet's condition becomes critical. Serious heart disease can affect a pet's quality of life, causing shortness of breath, weakness, fainting, and exercise intolerance. Veterinary cardiologists, using specialized knowledge and equipment, are able to identify pathologies in the early stages when treatment is most effective. This is especially important for breeds predisposed to certain diseases, such as Dobermans and Boxers with dilated cardiomyopathy or Maine Coons and Ragamuffins with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Early diagnosis allows you to begin timely therapy, slow down the progression of the disease and significantly improve the prognosis.

Signs of heart problems in animals

Recognizing early symptoms of heart disease is key to successful treatment. Owners should pay attention to the following signs:

• Cough: Dry, often worse at night or after physical activity.
• Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing): Rapid or shallow breathing, especially at rest, or open-mouth breathing in cats.
• Weakness and lethargy: Decreased activity, fatigue, reluctance to play or walk.
• Fainting (syncopation): Brief loss of consciousness, often triggered by excitement or physical exertion.
• Pale or cyanotic mucous membranes: Indicates poor blood circulation or lack of oxygen.
• Increase in abdominal volume: May be a sign of fluid buildup (ascites) due to heart failure.
• Weight loss or, conversely, uncontrolled weight gain: May be an indirect sign of metabolic disorders associated with heart failure.

If any of these symptoms appear, you should contact your veterinarian immediately.

Diagnostics in veterinary cardiology

To make an accurate diagnosis, veterinary cardiologists use a comprehensive examination system:

1. Clinical examination: Involves auscultation (listening) of the heart and lungs to detect murmurs, arrhythmias, and wheezing. The color of the mucous membranes, the filling of the pulse are assessed, and the abdomen is palpated.
2. Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart): This is the “gold standard” for diagnosing most heart diseases. Allows you to visualize the structure of the heart, assess the size of its chambers, wall thickness, condition of the valves, myocardial contractile function and blood flow.
3. Electrocardiography (ECG): Records the electrical activity of the heart, allowing the detection of rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) and conduction. Can be performed at rest or using Holter monitoring (24-hour ECG) to detect intermittent arrhythmias.
4. Chest X-ray: Used to assess the size and shape of the heart and identify pulmonary congestion (pulmonary edema) and pleural effusion that often accompany heart failure.
5. Blood pressure measurement: Helps identify hypertension or hypotension.
6. Laboratory research: Blood tests, including special biomarkers (eg, NT-proBNP), can indicate stress on the heart or damage to the heart, and also assess general health and kidney function, which is important when prescribing therapy.

Common cardiac diseases in animals

The most common heart pathologies differ between dogs and cats:

• In dogs:

  • Myxomatous mitral valve degeneration (MVD): The most common cause of heart failure in small and medium breed dogs. The valve becomes thickened and does not close tightly, causing blood to flow back.
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM): More common in large and giant breeds. The heart increases in size and its walls become thinner, which leads to a decrease in contractility.
  • Congenital heart defects: For example, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), pulmonary artery stenosis (PAS), or aortic stenosis (AS).

• At cats:

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): The most common heart disease in cats. It is characterized by thickening of the walls of the ventricles of the heart, which makes it difficult for it to relax and fill with blood.
  • Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCMP): Less common, it is manifested by thickening of the endocardium, which prevents normal filling of the ventricles.
  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC): A rare pathology characterized by the replacement of the heart muscle with fatty and fibrous tissue, which leads to rhythm disturbances.

Treatment and management of cardiac diseases

Treatment of heart disease in veterinary cardiology is usually aimed at slowing the progression of the disease, reducing symptoms and improving the pet's quality of life. This may include:

• Drug therapy: Diuretics are used to reduce edema, ACE inhibitors to reduce the load on the heart, beta blockers to control rhythm and blood pressure, and pimobendan to improve cardiac contractility.
• Diet therapy: Special low-sodium diets enriched with taurine, L-carnitine and omega-3 fatty acids may support heart function.
• Lifestyle changes: Limiting physical activity, creating a calm environment.
• Interventional procedures: In some cases, such as patent ductus arteriosus, surgical or minimally invasive treatment is possible.
• Regular check-ups: Patients with heart disease require regular monitoring to assess the effectiveness of treatment and timely adjustment of therapy.

Prevention and early diagnosis: The key to long life

Although many heart diseases are genetic and cannot be completely prevented, early diagnosis is critical. Regular checkups with your veterinarian, especially for at-risk breeds, can identify problems before obvious symptoms appear. Owners should vigilantly monitor the behavior and condition of their pets and not ignore even the slightest changes that may indicate heart problems.

Veterinary cardiology – this is not just treating an illness, it is a manifestation of care for the most devoted members of our families. Modern diagnostic and treatment methods allow our pets to live longer and better lives, despite the presence of heart disease. Seeing a qualified cardiologist at the first suspicion is the best way to ensure your pet has a healthy and happy heartbeat.