The goal of the Cardiology Service team at Iowa State Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center is to improve the quality and length of life for animals with heart disease. We offer a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for animals with heart disease and heart failure. Our team consists of two American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) board-certified veterinary cardiologists, two cardiology residents and one dedicated cardiology technician. We offer outpatient cardiology appointments, and also provide in-house consultations for patients seen through other services at the Veterinary Medical Center. We also offer overnight hospitalization when necessary. The Cardiology Service primarily sees dogs and cats, but we also consult with our Equine and Food Animal services to provide cardiac care for other species.
What are the typical reasons for Cardiology appointments/consultations?
- Second-opinion evaluation of animals with a heart murmur
- Diagnostic evaluation for pets with signs of suspected cardiac disease, such as difficulty breathing or collapse
- Assessment of heart disease severity or progression
- Management of congestive heart failure
- Diagnosis/management of abnormal cardiac rhythms
- Cardiac screening in potential breeding animals
What tests & services do we offer?
- Echocardiography
- Electrocardiography (ECG)
- Chest radiographs (X-rays)
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Comprehensive laboratory evaluation (bloodwork, urinalysis, fluid analysis)
- “Taps” for fluid removal (abdominocentesis, thoracocentesis, pericardiocentesis)
- Holter and Event monitoring (long-term ambulatory ECG monitoring)
- AliveCor monitoring (smartphone-based ECG monitoring)
- Interventional (minimally-invasive) procedures: