Our cardiologist, Dr. Jonathan Goodwin, travels to VCSG to perform echocardiograms and EKGs. If your primary veterinarian thinks that your pet has heart disease, abnormal heart rhythm, an enlarged heart, a heart murmur, a heart tumor, is in heart failure, or has any other heart conditions, your pet may benefit from being referred to Dr. Goodwin.
Some common heart problems animals can have include:
- Degenerative valve disease (leaky valves)
- Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathies)
- Congenital abnormalities (problems present from birth)
- Arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms)
- Heart tumors
- Common signs of heart disease in animals:
- Coughing
- Difficult, labored breathing
- Difficulty exercising
- Passing out
- Dragging the hind limbs (in cats)