Heart and lung disease in animals takes on many various forms and signs of disease vary greatly; animals often present for weakness by exercise intolerance, shortness of breath or fast breathing at rest, collapse or fainting spells, or cough. Our standards for treating your pet are high. We want your pet to be comfortable, have his/her clinical signs controlled and most importantly have a good quality of life with you.
A specialist in veterinary cardiology works with heart disease, lung disease, and diseases of the chest. The heart and lungs are intimately related in the chest, and if one is affected, the other is often also affected. Since the body is one integrated organism, a veterinary cardiologist may also need to handle other related internal medicine matters. We work closely with your family veterinarian to ensure that you and your pet receive the best of care. Your regular veterinarian receives a detailed report of all your visits. Other problems your pet may have are generally referred back to your family veterinarian. We often send you back to your family veterinarian for routine rechecks, but will always want to see you and your pet again if there are problems.
While cardiac conditions are serious and upsetting to pet owners, many heart diseases are manageable on an outpatient basis and allow for a good quality of life. Early diagnosis and effective treatment will increase your pet’s opportunity to live a more normal life.