The Animal Heartbeat

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.
In the 2020s, 3-dimensional echocardiography has become increasingly important for accurate planning of interventional and hybrid surgical procedures, but does this technique have applicability to centres without a surgical bias? Professor Giulio Menciotti has a passion for veterinary echocardiography, and exceptional experience with 3D echo in the clinical and research settings at Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. In this episode, Dr Menciotti shares his experience of learning and refining 3D echo techniques with listeners of The Animal Heartbeat, and considers what the future might hold for expanding the use of these techniques in clinical practice.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.
Arterial thromboembolism in cats is one of the most challenging presentations that we encounter in veterinary cardiology - sudden onset, extremely painful, and associated with a high mortality rate related to the complications of ischaemic neuromyopathy. Trying to better understand the optimal prevention and treatment of ATE in cats has led to uncovering a wealth of data on platelet function in veterinary species. At the forefront of this research, is the Li Comparative Platelet and Neutrophil Physiology Laboratory, based at North Carolina State University. Led by Professor Ronald Li, also an ACVECC Diplomate in Emergency and Critical Care, their research has expanded our knowledge about facing these tough cases in the clinic. In this fascinating episode, Dr Li joins our hosts, Jose and Kieran, to discuss the current thoughts on treatment and prevention of ATE in cats, and what the future might hold.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.
Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE, or TEE if you're of the American English persuasion!) is an increasingly accessible imaging modality for cardiologists in clinical practice. Over the past decade, using TOE as a routine part of patent ductus arteriosus occlusion procedures has become more common in large centres, but great advances in our appreciation of interventional decision making have come from the experiences of Prof Brianna Potter and the team at Colorado State University. Since 2021, they have been using TOE as an essential component of the mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair procedure. Join our hosts, Jose and Kieran, as they discuss the use of TOE in clinical practice with Prof Potter, and how interventional imaging has become a vital role for the cardiologist in 2026.

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Are you confident in making a diagnosis of feline HCM? We used to think so too... listen to Prof Ryan Fries, from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, discuss his particular interest and research activity in advanced imaging in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Covering echo technologies such as tissue Doppler imaging and strain-based techniques, to contrast enhanced echo and cardiac MRI, Prof Fries and our hosts Jose Novo Matos and Kieran Borgeat delve deep into what the future might hold for better understanding the diagnosis and outcomes in cats with left ventricular hypertrophy.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.
Mitral regurgitation is one of the most common pathologies in veterinary cardiology, yet most cardiologists do not feel confident in making a direct assessment of MR severity. Does chamber size hold the key, or do we have to perform complex Doppler-derived measurements to achieve a meaningful assessment of back-flow?
Professor Tommaso Vezzosi, of The University of Pisa, joins our hosts Kieran and Jose to discuss a practical approach to the assessment of mitral regurgitation severity in dogs.