Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield. Herts AL9 7TA
Our first DIWP campaign of 2023 was centred around promoting veterinary nursing to those considering a career change or joining the profession later in life. We hosted a discussion panel, where...
The exact reason for CKCS MMVD prevalence is not known. High levels of heritability have been shown, yet there are difficulties in determining why, not least because nearly all CKCS have MMVD, so a...
Blood pressure is a measure of cardiac output and systolic vascular resistance. A decrease in blood pressure can occur in a response to a drop in cardiac output, such as serious haemorrhage, a poorly...
DCM is a common cause of congestive heart failure in dogs, and historically, was linked to large and giant breed dogs (Adin et al, 2019). DCM is characterised by poor systolic function and ventricular...
The heart contains four chambers, the left and right atria and left and right ventricles. These four chambers receive and send blood through several vessels and valves to keep the body perfused with...
Cardiomyopathy is the main cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality in cats, and hyper-trophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most commonly diagnosed form (Payne et al, 2015). Cats can often have...
Blood pressure is the force exerted on the vessel wall which is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg). Blood pressure is affected by two factors; cardiac output, or the amount of blood ejected...
Heart disease is defined as any abnormality of cardiac structure or function. Heart failure is said to occur when clinical signs of increased tissue water and/or decreased tissue perfusion are...
A heart murmur is an abnormal sound of a prolonged duration. Normal blood flow should pass through blood vessels with minimal turbulence, and not create any extra sound. However, if there is a...
The ECG trace is based on a conduction system within the heart (shown in Figure 1). An electrical impulse is generated within the sinoatrial (SA) node, and this impulse travels across the atria...
There are a few different types of stethoscopes available on the market (Figure 1). The better quality stethoscopes are adequate for veterinary use. Paediatric stethoscopes are not recommended for...