Departments

Cardiology

Heart problems in animals are common, but they are usually quite different from the heart diseases that we humans get. Your veterinarian has been monitoring your pet’s heart since the first time you brought your puppy or kitten in for her first check up! Which makes that doctor uniquely qualified to monitor changes in your best friend’s heart. When problems do arise, your vet will advise you on how best to proceed.

As with humans, heart problems in pets can range from the mild, to the serious-but-manageable, to the critical. The key to successfully treating heart disease in pets is accurate, complete diagnosis.

The Cincinnati Animal Referral & Emergency (CARE) Center is the Tri-State’s most complete Cardiology service. Under the direction of Kathy Wright, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), the full spectrum of cardiological diagnostics and treatments are performed, including Echocardiography (Color-Flow Doppler, M-Mode, etc), Fluoroscopy, Holter Monitoring, OFA Cardiac Certification, and Pacemaker Implantation.

CARE Center is currently the only facility in North America performing Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation in dogs. If some of these treatments sound very extravagant, keep in mind that many of the procedures and drugs currently used in human medicine are based upon animal models, so that the state of veterinary cardiology is highly advanced. Are such advanced procedures necessary for your pet? Answering that question is why your veterinarian would refer you to Dr. Wright.

If your vet has referred you and your pet to CARE Center, it is because of our diagnostic and treatment capabilities. During a consultation with Dr. Wright, recommended diagnostics will be discussed, and treatment options offered. If your pet is placed on medications, periodic rechecks will be scheduled to keep abreast of how your pet is doing, and to allow Dr. Wright and her staff to adjust treatment accordingly.