When you’re not feeling well, your first contact should be with your primary care physician. If your case is especially complicated or requires a second opinion, your doctor may refer you to a specialist. Veterinary care is comparable. Taking your pet to a primary care veterinarian will most likely be your first point of contact. As with human healthcare, veterinarians can now consult with an increasing number of veterinary specialists.
When Should My Pet See a Veterinary Cardiologist?
Your main veterinarian from this page may have recommended you to a veterinary cardiologist after a pet check-up due to a heart murmur, an enlarged heart, or an elevated proBNP test, which is common in pets with mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy.
The best method to determine the type, severity, and treatment for any pet with heart disease is to consult a board-certified veterinary cardiologist. Taking your pet to a cardiologist enables a specialist to conduct an examination and diagnostic testing specific to your pet’s cardiac needs.
What Is the Difference Between a Vet Cardiologist and My Regular Veterinarian?
Every day, vet cardiologists from places like Orange pet clinic see a wide range of complex cardiology cases. Some cardiologists only see instances involving the heart. They frequently receive complex cardiology cases that other veterinary professionals cannot manage and provide support and guidance to other veterinary professionals who require additional assistance. Because they see such a broad range of cardiac cases, their knowledge of the subject grows, and they become acquainted with unusual presentations of conditions.
What Exactly Does a Veterinary Cardiologist Do?
A vet cardiologist is a fully qualified veterinarian who receives additional training after graduating from vet school to become an expert in heart problems. They can fully diagnose and manage heart and lung disorders for pets. Pets who exhibit any of the following symptoms may benefit from a cardiac consultation with a pet cardiologist:
- Elevated blood pressure
- Breathing problems or shortness of breath
- Irregular heart rate
- Coughing
- Weakness
- Fainting
The consultation when you go now, could include strategies for preventing heart failure and safe and efficient long-term health management of pets with heart disease. Whatever the strategy is, the main goal is to improve and maintain the pet’s quality of life.
What Technologies Do Veterinary Cardiologists Use to Make a Diagnosis?
A variety of non-invasive technologies assist the cardiologist in determining whether the pet has heart or lung illness. They are all comparable to the technologies used on humans. They include well-known sounding devices such as echo cardiology machines, which use sound waves to image the heart and determine its strength and health.
Others are:
- Radiology devices. They give vital information about everything that is contained within the chest cavity.
- Electrocardiography. Generates recordings that evaluate the pet’s heart rate and any possible irregularities.
- Blood tests. They are used to assess the pet’s kidney function, thyroid status, and other essential factors.
- Other critical and specialized tests. These can be used to identify the presence and severity of pet heart disease.
Conclusion
If your pet is diagnosed with a heart issue, you must consult a veterinarian cardiologist. Your regular veterinarian can refer your pet to a cardiologist if necessary. Vet cardiologists are uniquely positioned to treat a wide range of complicated heart and circulatory conditions because of the extensive training they receive in school and throughout their careers. They also have access to advanced diagnostic equipment and are on the cutting edge of some of the latest treatment procedures.
