Cardiology
What we do
The Cardiology Service at Penn Vet’s Ryan Veterinary Hospital is considered the birthplace of specialty veterinary medicine. Today, the Service continues this tradition by offering state-of-the-art treatment and diagnostic services such as echocardiography, electrocardiography, radiography, angiography, and 24-hour ambulatory ECG (Holter) monitoring.
The Service also offers the latest minimally-invasive surgical and interventional therapies, including correction of congenital heart defects and artificial pacemaker implantation, heartworm retrieval, and radiofrequency ablation of select arrhythmias in dogs.
Our Services
Consultations, Procedures, and Appointments
Cardiology services include consultations on in-hospital patients, and appointments on an outpatient basis. In addition to blood work and other supportive tests we are able to perform a number of non-invasive and invasive procedures:
Our Services
Consultations, Procedures, and Appointments
Cardiology services include consultations on in-hospital patients, and appointments on an outpatient basis. In addition to blood work and other supportive tests we are able to perform a number of non-invasive and invasive procedures:
Non-invasive Procedures
- Blood pressure measurement (indirect)
- Echocardiography (incl. Doppler & Tissue Doppler)
- Electrocardiography (12 lead ECG)
- Event monitoring
- Holter-monitoring (24 to 48 hours continuous ECG)
- Pacemaker interrogation
- Thoracic radiography (w/ Section of Radiology)
Invasive Procedures
Patients are typically admitted to the hospital early on the day of the procedure or the prior evening and discharged the following day (if no complications). An exception is pericardiocentesis or thoracocentesis, which are usually performed on an out-patient basis.
Appointment Inquiry
The Cardiology Service sees appointments Monday to Friday. Questions about your visit to Cardiology?
Call (215) 898-3331 or email: pennvet.cardiology@upenn.edu
Please Note: We cannot provide medical advice over the phone for pets that have not been seen by Cardiology.
Appointment on Out patient Basis
For most cases, cardiology appointments typically take one to three hours, and in some situations, specific arrangements can be made with the individual cardiologist for admission as day-cases, with drop-off in the morning and discharge later in the day. However, the appointment length will depend on the amount of diagnostic work-ups required.
Patient Resources
Has your animal been diagnosed with a heart condition? Here are some resources that can help you learn more about the disorder and what you can do.
Our Care Team
Interim Section Chief, Cardiology
Anna R. Gelzer, DVM, PhD, DECVIM, DACVIM
Professor, Cardiology
Veterinarians
Residents and Staff
Yeonji Cho, DVM
Resident, Cardiology
Tori Convey, VMD
Resident, Cardiology
Laura Massey, VMD
Resident, Cardiology
Molly Dunn, CVT
Cardiology Nurse & Service Coordinator
Cardiomyopathy in Cats Registry (CCR)
The purpose of the Cardiomyopathy in Cats Registry (CCR) is to find predictors of disease progression and symptoms in cats with disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy) so that veterinarians can provide the best recommendations and treatments.
The CCR gathers information from the hospital visit and conventional diagnostic testing to gain insight into how cardiomyopathy affects the health of individual cats and risk factors for complications such as heart failure. The CCR also acts as a repository of blood samples that can be used to discover new disease markers and to develop new tests.
A Collaboration
The CCR is a collaboration between three veterinary cardiology practices, each with a patient population that includes a high number of cats with cardiomyopathy and investigators with expertise involving cardiomyopathy. The CCR also includes researchers and physicians interested in the similarities between cardiomyopathy in the cat and human patients. Some of the lessons learned in cats might also help humans with cardiomyopathy.
Data
Data from eligible cats examined at any of the three cardiology practices are automatically entered into the CCR. Cat owners might be asked via phone or email to provide periodic updates regarding their cat’s health status. Reports that are disseminated to the public or scientific community use de-identified data so that the cats and their owners remain anonymous.
For More Information
For more information about the CCR or to opt-out of participation, please contact us at: catregistry@vet.upenn.edu
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Philadelphia
3900 Delancey St.
Philadelphia PA 19104
Investigators:
Mark A. Oyama, DVM, DACVIM; Laura Massey, DVM, Sharlene Day, MD
The Animal Medical Center (AMCNY)
510 E 62 St.
NYC, NY 10065
Investigator: Philip Fox, DVM, DACVIM/ECIM, DACVECC
CVCA
1209 Cromwell Bridge Road
Towson, MD 21286
Investigator: Steve Rosenthal, DVM, DACVIM
Ryan Veterinary Hospital
Emergencies:
(215) 746-8911
By Appointment:
(215) 746-8387