Small Animal Cardiology

Key learning objectives:

• Recall and understand cardiovascular anatomy
• Revise the embryological development of cardiac structures and how developmental defects can lead to common congenital abnormalities
• Integrate your knowledge of the cardiac cycle, excitation-contraction and control of cardiac output into your understanding of the cardiovascular system
• Improve your comprehension of haemodynamics
• Discover the intricacies of cardiac action potentials

Key learning objectives:

• Explore the topic of human perception of health-related quality of life of cardiac patients
• Appreciate the importance of the best standard of care in veterinary cardiology
• Collect a directed and targeted patient’s history
• Recognise clinical signs associated with cardiovascular disorders
• Become familiar with cardiovascular examination with a particular emphasis on chest percussion techniques and cardiac auscultation

Key learning objectives:

• Review how to obtain thoracic radiographs of diagnostic quality
• Develop a systematic approach to the interpretation of thoracic radiographs
• Improve your ability to recognise radiographic signs of congestive heart failure
• Review non-cardiac radiographic abnormalities of the thorax and common artefacts
• Explore selective and non-selective angiography as an investigative tool

Key learning objectives:

• Perfect your ability to acquire and analyse electrocardiograms
• Recognise tachyarrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias and their clinical significance
• Understand anti-arrhythmic therapy and your pharmacological options
• Familiarise yourself with pacemaker therapy
• Consider electrophysiological studies and radiofrequency ablation

Key learning objectives:

• Develop your understanding of echocardiographic imaging and basic machine settings
• Familiarise yourself with M-mode, how to interpret what you see and what it can tell you about your patient
• Review B-mode and the different images used to assess cardiac function at different levels of the heart
• Explore 3D acquisitions and how they can advance your skills in echocardiography

Key learning objectives:

• Familiarise yourself with the progressive model of heart failure
• Transform your understanding of the activation of the sympathetic nervous system
• Revise activation of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system
• Understand alterations in the peripheral vasculature
• Develop your knowledge of the complexity of myocardial remodelling and reversed remodelling

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the classification systems of heart failure in veterinary cardiology
• Recognise clinical manifestations of acute and chronic heart failure
• Improve your management of acute heart failure cases
• Maximise longevity with better management of chronic heart failure
• Advance your ability to manage refractory heart failure patients

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the aetiology, pathophysiology and diagnosis of chronic myxomatous valve disease (MMVD)
• Improve your skills in staging patients with MMVD
• Advance your clinical management of MMVD
• Develop your knowledge of the aetiology, pathophysiology and diagnosis of infective endocarditis
• Become familiar with the clinical management of infective endocarditis

Key learning objectives:

• Enhance your understanding of the aetiology and breed predisposition of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
• Consolidate your knowledge of the clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis of canine DCM
• Become familiar with the clinical management of occult and overt canine DCM
• Understand the pathophysiology and management of canine tachycardiomyopathy
• Improve your familiarity with the aetiology and management of myocarditis

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the complexity and limits of feline cardiomyopathy (CM) classification
• Review the pathophysiology of feline CM
• Become familiar with clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis of feline CM
• Transform your management of feline CM and arterial thromboembolism in your clinic

Key learning objectives:

• Review the pathophysiology and clinical management of patent ductus arteriosus
• Understand pathophysiology and clinical management of pulmonic and aortic stenosis
• Develop your understanding of the pathophysiology and clinical management of mitral and tricuspid dysplasia
• Perfect your clinical management of ventricular and atrial septal defects by fully comprehending the pathophysiology of these conditions
• Become familiar with advanced techniques for diagnosis and treatment of cardiac congenital defects

Key learning objectives:

• Develop your understanding of Doppler studies (CW, PW, HPRF, Colour)
• Consolidate your ability to obtain the conventional echocardiographic views
• Recognise the potentials and pitfalls of echocardiographic assessment

Key learning objectives:

• Review the classification and clinical presentation of intracavitary and extracavitary cardiac tumours
• Become familiar with the management of primary cardiac tumours
• Revise the anatomy and physiology of the pericardium
• Understand the aetiology and pathophysiology of pericardial effusion and tamponade
• Transform your ability to manage clinical cases of pericardial effusion

Key learning objectives:

• Differentiate syncope from other causes of falling
• Understand and manage episodic falling and “exercise-induced collapse”
• Successfully investigate fainting patients
• Become familiar with available diagnostic techniques and therapies for fainting
• Pathophysiology and management of:
  • Systemic hypertension
  • Pulmonary hypertension