Dogwood’s cardiology service is led by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist — a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Cardiology specialty (DACVIM — Cardiology). Board certification in veterinary cardiology requires completing a cardiology residency beyond veterinary school and passing rigorous specialty examinations. It’s the highest credential in the field.

Yes. An echocardiogram (“echo”) is an ultrasound of the heart — it shows the heart’s structure and how the chambers and valves are moving in real time. An EKG (or ECG) is an electrical tracing of the heartbeat — it shows the rhythm and electrical conduction. Most cardiology workups use both, because they answer different questions: echo shows the anatomy and pumping, ECG shows the rhythm.

No — many heart murmurs in dogs and cats are mild or even insignificant. But some murmurs signal serious underlying heart disease, and the only way to know reliably is with an echocardiogram. An echo distinguishes a benign murmur from one that needs monitoring or treatment.

A referral from your primary veterinarian is helpful because it lets us coordinate records and prior diagnostics, but it isn’t required. Families can request a cardiology consult directly.

It depends entirely on the type and stage of the disease. Many pets with early heart disease never develop heart failure; many with heart failure live comfortably for months to years with the right medications and monitoring. The cardiologist will lay out an honest prognosis once a diagnosis is made.