Our Cardiology referral service commenced in January 2024, led by Alfredo Perez Planelles, RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Veterinary Cardiology).
At Optivet we can perform investigations, treatment, and management in cardiology and respiratory conditions (if this is the case) in your patients. This is supported by a multi-disciplinary team of specialists in internal medicine, anaesthesia, surgery, and diagnostic imaging.
We have a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment including cardiac ultrasound, doppler blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) and ambulatory ECG (Holter monitoring), digital radiography, 128 slice CT and in-house laboratory.
In addition to referrals, we still accept outpatient echocardiogram cases - if these cases turn out to be more complex than planned, we will contact you to discuss full referral. Alfredo is keen to give free telephone advice on radiographs and ECGs - or to discuss your patient.
We focus on providing answers and an optimal patient treatment plan within clients' budgets. If you would like to discuss a case before a referral, please call us or email the medicine team at alfredo@optivet.com or medicine@optivet.com
Common cardiology work-ups would include investigations for:
- Pre-anaesthetic risk assessment
- Heart murmurs
- Cough and breathing abnormalities
- Arrhythmias
- Exercise intolerance
- Weakness, collapsing and/or syncopal episodes
- Pericardial and/or pleural effusions (fluid around the heart or lungs)
- Pericardiocentesis and Pericardial Surgery
- Surgical PDA correction