The Animal Heartbeat

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Ventricular arrhythmias pose a challenge for all clinicians that face cardiac cases. Although many people are familiar with lidocaine as a first-line drug, there is more complexity in decision making for most dogs beyond the first hour after presentation. Dr Manuela Perego, a European Diplomate in Small Animal Cardiology who is based at the Clinic Veterinaria Malpensa in Milan, Italy, joins us in this episode to guide us through her approach to ventricular arrhythmias in dogs, and update us on her latest research into this fascinating topic. A MUST listen for all cardiology interested clinicians!

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.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. 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.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. We estimate that 1 in 7 cats have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, compared to 1 in 500 humans. In a number of ways, both species share similar characteristics of disease, and vets often look to the world of human medicine for better understanding. However, some factors about feline HCM appear to be fundamentally different to humans. Join our hosts, Jose and Kieran, as they chair a fascinating panel discussion of world-recognised experts in veterinary and human HCM - with a live audience from The Cambridge Festival 2026. We were incredibly fortunate to be joined by outstanding leaders in both human and feline cardiology and pathology: - Professor Mary Sheppard – Head of Cardiovascular Pathology, City St George’s University of London; President, Pathology Section, Royal Society of Medicine - Professor Juan Pablo Kaski – Professor of Paediatric Inherited Cardiovascular Medicine, UCL; Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Director, Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases - Professor David Connolly – Professor of Veterinary Cardiology, Royal Veterinary College This discussion brings together human and veterinary experts to discuss HCM across species, exploring similarities and differences in diagnosis, and management - a truly translational perspective.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Cardiology is one of the more accessible disciplines for primary care vets, but still poses a number of important challenges for the clinician. Join Jose and Kieran as they host an amazing panel of guests: Rory Cowlam, Cat Henstridge, James Greenwood, and Louisa Graham - experienced GP vets with different levels of enthusiasm for cardiology! Our excellent panel share their perspectives on the utility of NT-proBNP in cats with a heart murmur, how vets can use staging systems for heart disease, and a number of other primary-care focused topics - live from the London Vet Show in 2025. Held each November at the London ExCel, the London Vet Show is the biggest event in the calendar of the UK vet profession. This year, LVS debuted their new showcase for talent, The Studio.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. In the finale of The Animal Heartbeat Season 3, Kieran and Jose are once again joined by Dr Mark Rishniw. Double-boarded in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Mark works as a VIN Consultant and Research Associate of the Simpson Lab at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Through his numerous educational roles, lectures and publications, Dr Rishniw has become known as a critical thinker who is on a mission to bust myths and break down barriers to communication. In part two, join Mark as he shares his perspectives on coughing in heart failure, and the publication process in 2025.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. In the first part of our very special, two-part Animal Heartbeat Season 3 finale, Kieran and Jose are joined by Dr Mark Rishniw. Double-boarded in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Mark works as a VIN Consultant and Research Associate of the Simpson Lab at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Through his numerous educational roles, lectures and publications, Dr Rishniw has become known as a critical thinker who is on a mission to bust myths and break down barriers to communication. In part one, join Mark as he dissects the topic of NT-proBNP screening for feline cardiomyopathy, and treatment for pets in stage B2...

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. On Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat, we have been privileged to be joined by a number of cardiology icons - legends in their field. As we come towards the season close, we are joined by Dr Julie Rosser, CEO of the EBVS and a Board Certified ACVS and ECVS Surgeon with a back ground in large animal work in both the USA and Europe. Julie has a broad perspective on the impact of veterinary specialism, and the challenges and opportunities for specialists in 2025. Join Dr Rosser and our hosts, Jose and Kieran, for a wide-ranging discussion that will contain a number of points for reflection no matter what your level of experience or field of interest in the veterinary world.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. This week, our hosts Jose and Kieran bring you a discussion of their favourite scientific papers published in 2025. If you are interested in what science influences the cardiology specialists, then listen in for our thoughts on three manuscripts that contain data crucial to veterinary cardiology today. Links to the papers, if you wanted to read along: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70152 Risk calculator: https://shimon-furusato.shinyapps.io/prediction_model_for_canine_mitralvalverepair/ https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325695 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2505927

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world. In Episode 7 of the Icons series, Prof John Bonagura joins our hosts, Jose and Kieran, to discuss how we can advance our echocardiographic skills in animals. Echocardiography is a fundamental tool for clinicians and researchers, something we use every day to infirm decision making for our patients. But is one echo the same as the next? Can we do better to improve our accuracy of diagnosis, and is there a role for standardised echo guidelines? John discusses his career spanning experience of echocardiography, from M-mode to speckle tracking techniques and using real-time 4D volumes, and updates us on the progress of the joint ACVIM-ASE guidelines for 2D echo in animals, upcoming in 2026. Listen with us as Dr Bonagura shares his perspectives and takes a deep-dive on echo for the veterinary cardiologist.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world. In this episode, we welcome Prof Kate Meurs, Randall B. Terry Jr Dean of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Prof Meurs has worked across the fields of clinical vet cardiology and genetics, and drove the research that led to the discovery of mutations associated with HCM in cats, DCM and ARVC in dogs, and arrhythmia-induced death in particular canine family lines. Her work has changed how we think about heart disease in companion animals, and may hold the key to future refinements in the care we provide for animals with heart disease. Listen to Prof Meurs' reflections on her groundbreaking work, and her thoughts on how we can best use genetic testing to help maximise animal wellbeing in the clinic.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world. This fifth edition of the Icons series features Mike Martin, RCVS Diplomate in Veterinary Cardiology who founded the first private cardiology specialist practice in the UK and pioneered cardiac interventions in Europe. Mike learned from human paediatric cardiologists and refined the skillset of his team to become a world-leader in canine cardiac minimally invasive surgery. Over recent years, Mike has developed a strategy for the training of interventional procedures in the UK and abroad, and has developed a particular interest in clinical audit techniques to improve patient safety. Join our hosts, Jose and Kieran, as they discuss Mike's experience of how best to develop a new interventional centre, and why we should be using a centralised audit process to help improve patient safety in cardiac surgery.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world. This episode features Professor Robert Hamlin, of The Ohio State University, Stanton Youngberg Professor Emeritus in Cardiology, and Principal Scientist at Q-Test Labs. Prof Hamlin qualified as a veterinarian in 1958. As one of the founders of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, he has helped to shape the profession as we know it, particularly the realm of veterinary specialty. He is widely known for his knowledge and clinical application of cardiovascular physiology cross-species, and he continues to work actively in the field, teaching and inspiring the next generation of veterinary clinicians. Join our hosts, Kieran and Jose, as they discuss Prof Hamlin's perspectives on veterinary cardiology over more than 65 years of experience, a true legend in his field.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world. This episode features Dr Philip Fox, of The Animal Medical Center NY, Chair of the Caspary Research Institute and Service Lead in Cardiology. Dr Fox is well-known for his groundbreaking work on feline cardiomyopathy, first publishing on HCM as an animal model of human disease thirty years ago. His ongoing work on various cardiomyopathy phenotypes and their pathogenesis continues to shape our understanding of feline heart disease. What are Dr Fox's reflections on his work now, and has he changed the way he thinks about feline cardiopathy in 2025? Join our hosts, Kieran and Jose, as they discuss feline cardiomyopathy with a legend in the field.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world. This episode features Professor Chris Orton of Colorado State University. Prof Orton has been a leader in the field of canine heart surgery for over thirty years, having worked to develop both open heart surgery techniques on cardiopulmonary bypass and minimally invasive techniques to treat valve disease. Chris is known as a cardiologist and a surgeon, but also has a strong bench-top research background, evaluating the mitral valve and the mechanisms of degenerative disease. Join our hosts, Jose and Kieran, as they discuss Prof Orton's research experience and his experience over the last 3-years of trans-catheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair, patient considerations and outcomes.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world. This episode features Professor Sydney Möise, of Cornell University, CV Starr Professor Emerita of Cardiology. Prof Möise's research and education output on cardiac arrhythmias has shaped how many of us think about electrical problems of the heart, and she has become known as a pioneer of ambulatory ECG assessment of heart rate variability. Her recent collaborations with Wyatt Flanders, her son, has given the veterinary cardiology world free access to dynamic and 3D Poincaré plots in dogs, broadening our understanding of conduction system disease in animals. Join our hosts, Kieran and Jose, as they discuss canine cardiac arrhythmias with a legend in their field.

Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose. Our Animal Heartbeat live panel discussion in 2025 covers the topic of artificial intelligence and its use in veterinary and human patients. Our panel review topics such as how to validate AI tools, where AI fits in current medicine and how opportunities for its use are evolving, and should we worry about AI? Our hosts Kieran and Jose are joined by a fantastic panel of guests: Professor Virginia Luis Fuentes; Professor of Veterinary Cardiology, Royal Veterinary College Professor Anurag Agarwal; Professor of Aeroacoustics, University of Cambridge Dr Matthew Shun-Shin; Consultant Cardiologist, Imperial College London Catherine Stowell; Imperial College London and founder of The Animal Ultrasound Association This episode was recorded live at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as part of the 2025 Cambridge Festival of podcasts.