Auscultation (Listening): 
One of the first steps in diagnosing heart disease is listening to your pet’s heart.

A murmur is an abnormal sound caused by turbulent blood flow in the heart. A murmur is typically classified by grades 1 through 6. Grade 1 is a faint murmur, while grade 6 is a severe murmur that can be felt as well as heard.

A heart murmur is not necessarily a cause for concern; many pets live long, healthy lives with a mild heart murmur and never require treatment.  However, a heart murmur should always be fully evaluated by a veterinarian, and monitored at each annual exam.

Radiographs (x-rays):

Radiographs allow us to evaluate the entire chest, including the size and shape of the heart,  and the health of the lungs and vessels.

In a patient with heart failure often the heart is enlarged due to excess pressure and back flow from faulty valves. There may also be evidence of edema (fluid in the lungs).

Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG):

ECG measures the electrical impulse generated by the heart. It allows us to evaluate the timing of contractions and evaluate the source of any abnormal beats. We can compare the electrical impulse with the chamber of the heart that creates it to know if there is a premature contraction.

Blood Pressure:

An accurate blood pressure measurement is an important piece of information in treating heart disease. High blood pressure is one symptom of congestive heart failure.

Cardiac Ultrasound:

Ultrasound allows Dr. Cloutier to see your pet’s heart function. With it he canvisualize the valves, evaluate chamber size, and assess

function. Color flow Doppler allows us to see the source of the heart murmur, while Continuous Wave Doppler can help us know how significant the murmur is.

The ultrasound also tells us how well the heart is contracting, if any walls are thickened and other changes caused by a valve insufficency or genetic deformity.

Cardiac ProBNP:
This is a blood test to measure the level of a compound released by the heart when it is stressed.