Echocardiogram for Pets

Yes, pets get heart disease too! We may recommend a cardiac echocardiogram for your pet if your pet is exhibiting symptoms of heart disease. Cardiac echocardiograms are “real time” images taken of your pet’s heart using ultrasound equipment. The echocardiogram allows our veterinarians to see inside your pet’s heart and help us to evaluate the structure and function of your pet’s heart. We can detect birth defects, diseases of the heart valves and heart muscle diseases, identify fluid around the heart, identify cardiac tumors and certain types of heartworm infections. The components of the echocardiogram can include:

• Two-dimensional images to see lesions and overall cardiac structure
• M-mode study to measure heart size and function
• Doppler examination to evaluate blood flow

The cardiac ultrasound examination is painless, non-invasive and safe and typically does not require your pet to be sedated. Ultrasound technology works through sound waves that travel into the body, returning images of the internal organ to a screen, allowing us to visualize the heart in real time.