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CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets

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Gaithersburg, MD
CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets

CVCA is the leading choice for veterinary cardiology. Entrust your pet's care to a board-certified cardiologist!

Our team of board-certified veterinary cardiologists treats more patients with heart disease than any other practice worldwide. Our expertise and top-of-the-line echocardiography equipment ensure an accurate diagnosis and the best outcome for your pet.

10/08/2025

Happy Wednesday! 🐾

09/10/2025

Happy Wednesday from ZOE! 😍

Zoe's recheck echocardiogram revealed that she has a very mild form of a congenital heart condition called subaortic stenosis. This refers to a narrowing (stenosis) in the region of the heart just below the aortic valve, where blood leaves the left ventricle (the main pumping chamber of the heart) to enter the aorta. The narrowing results in an obstruction to forward blood flow that, in severe cases, requires the left ventricle to become stronger and thicker in order to send blood into the aorta. Abnormally fast and turbulent blood flow downstream of the obstruction can disrupt the normal function of the nearby aortic valve, resulting in backward flow across this valve (called aortic regurgitation). Fortunately for Zoe, the degree of her subaortic stenosis is extremely mild. In addition, because she has reached full adulthood, the severity of her condition is not expected to increase in the future. YAY! 🥳

Regarding the mild thickening of her mitral valve and very small amount of backward flow across it, this has proven to be remarkably stable over time. Although some degree of heart chamber enlargement was noted during one evaluation in September of 2018 (leading to the use of pimobendan), this now appears to have been an anomalous time point. Following previous normalization of heart chamber size and then discontinuation of the pimobendan last September, Zoe continues to be free of any apparent heart chamber enlargement!!! Best news EVER!! 👏🏽

As much as we will miss Zoe's visits, we do not have a plan for further cardiology appointments for Zoe. We love you Zoe! ♥️

08/12/2025

Feeling "Lucky?" 🍀

Lucky was originally diagnosed with congestive heart failure and was started on cardiac medications. Thankfully, his diuretic was able to be discontinued and he remained stable with normal atrial size and the absence of diuresis, which is excellent news!! 🙌🏽

His most recent visit with Dr. Rausch DVM, DACVIM, suggests that his original diagnosis of congestive heart failure may have been associated with a sudden tear of one of the tendons within his heart that attaches to his mitral valve. Such cases can lead to congestive heart failure and this heart failure can cause serious trouble. However, there are some dogs who are fortunate enough to respond well to medications and over time have their heart become more adept at handling this change in mitral insufficiency.

We feel confident that Lucky is one of those lucky dogs!! 🥳

07/31/2025

Happy National Mutt Day!

National Mutt Day, also known as National Mixed Breed Dog Day, is a day to celebrate mixed-breed dogs and raise awareness about the high number of them waiting for adoption in shelters nationwide. National Mutt Day aims to promote the acceptance and rescue of mixed-breed dogs, which make up 80 percent of shelter dogs. Although purebred dogs in shelters are typically adopted quickly, mixed-breed dogs often face the stigma of being less desirable, leading to longer stays in shelters. Their unique qualities are frequently overlooked, as many people are unaware of the *positive* traits that a mix of dog breeds can offer.

strongly believes that all dogs deserve a loving home and we hope you will consider a mutt as your next pet when visiting a shelter!

07/21/2025

Is your pet dehydrated?? 💧👀

06/20/2025

Today marks the first day of summer! 😎 How are you and your furry friends spending the first official day of the season of sunshine? ☀️

06/16/2025

Making sure your pets get the nutrition and care they need is important to us. That’s why you can get their food and meds delivered right to your door.

From your local vet team, to your doorstep. To shop our online pharmacy, visit our website!📱

05/29/2025

Why leave the house when you can get your pet's food and meds delivered right to your doorstep? 🤷‍♂️📦Visit our website to shop our online pharmacy!

04/11/2025

Happy National Pet Day! Drop a pic of your pet in the comments so we can all appreciate their cuteness. 😍👇💗

04/09/2025

Let’s be real—you were going to online shop anyway. 😏 Why not grab your pet’s food and meds online too while you’re at it? Shop our online pharmacy at https://cvcavets.com

09/12/2022

This handsome boy's name is Zeus! He was referred to us by Paws Animal Hospital in 2018. Tim Cain, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) and the staff at CVCA Gaithersburg saw him recently to monitor his Subaortic Stenosis.

Subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS) is a congenital defect, seen more commonly in dogs than cats. In SAS, there is added fibrous or muscular tissue below the aortic valve which causes an obstruction. The heart has to overcome this and in doing so, must work harder to pump blood.

The prognosis for patients with SAS varies depending on the severity of the obstruction. Symptoms can include lethargy, weakness following exercise or excitement, fainting, coughing and difficulty breathing. All dogs with SAS are also at an increased risk for developing infections in the aortic valve (endocarditis) and are at an increased risk for sudden death. An echocardiogram can provide a definitive diagnosis for SAS.

Dogs with severe to moderate SAS should be limited to low impact activity and avoid vigorous exercise. Beta-blockers may be started for dogs with severe SAS. Additional therapy may be warranted to treat arrhythmias and heart failure. Surgical and catheterization procedures to correct SAS are available at some university veterinary hospitals; however, they have not yet been shown to improve survival times.

Zeus has been seeing us for 4 years and we'll be keeping an eye on him to make sure his heart works as best it can!

To learn more about CVCA and Subaortic Stenosis, visit https://hubs.li/Q01l-bL20

CVCA Gaithersburg is located inside Veterinary Referral Associates.

06/15/2022

Meet Mercy! She was referred to us by Patton Veterinary Hospital in 2020. Dr. Tim Cain and the staff at CVCA Gaithersburg saw her recently for a recheck echocardiogram to monitor her pulmonic stenosis!

Pulmonic stenosis is a defect of the pulmonic valve which leads to obstruction of blood flow from the heart to the lungs. The narrowing of this region can result is an increased work load of the right ventricle causing excessive heart muscle thickening or hypertrophy. Pulmonic stenosis is one of the most commonly seen congenital heart defects in dogs and is most frequently seen in Chihuahuas, Boxers, Labradors, Newfoundlands, West Highland Terriers, Beagles and English Bulldogs.

Pets with mild pulmonic stenosis can usually live normal lives without medications. Pets with moderate to severe pulmonic stenosis may experience exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, fainting (syncope), fatal arrhythmias (not common) and congestive heart failure. Moderate to severe disease may be treated with a minimally invasive catherization procedure called balloon valvuloplasty. Medical therapy may also be recommended.

We'll continue to keep an eye on Mercy to make sure her heart works as best it can!

To learn more about CVCA and Pulmonic Stenosis, visit https://hubs.li/Q01dH-mg0

CVCA Gaithersburg is located inside Veterinary Referral Associates.

05/25/2022

This is Vinny! He was referred by Potomac Animal Hospital and recently visited us to monitor his Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

After seeing Dr. Tim Cain and the staff at CVCA Gaithersburg for an exam and recheck echo, we found that Vinny is doing great!

ARVC is a heart muscle disease primarily found in Boxers but has also been reported in English Bulldogs and American Staffordshire Terriers. ARVC happens when normal heart muscle cells are replaced by fat and/or fibrous tissue. This causes ventricular arrhythmias, or abnormal heart beats that originate from the bottom right chamber of the heart.

Diagnosing ARVC is done through electrocardiography (ECG) which detects the abnormal heart rhythm. A 24-hour Holter monitor is the gold standard for detecting arrhythmias for these patients. An echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) is also recommended to evaluate heart size, function and to determine if other cardiac diseases are present. There is also genetic testing for ARVC but it does not provide a definitive diagnosis.

These patients may present with asymptomatic heart arrhythmias that are noted during routine exams, fainting spells (syncope), congestive heart failure and unfortunately sudden cardiac death. However, there are medications we can use to slow the progression of this cardiac disease.

Vinny has been seeing since June of 2021 and we'll be keeping an eye on him to make sure his heart works as best it can!

To learn more about CVCA and ARVC, visit https://hubs.li/Q01bx1mS0

CVCA Gaithersburg is located inside Veterinary Referral Associates.

05/11/2022

This is Jackson! He was referred by A Cat Practice and recently visited us to monitor his hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy .

After seeing Dr. Tim Cain, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) and the staff at Gaithersburg CVCA for an exam, we found that Jackson is doing great and his condition is stable!

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is where a thickened heart muscle or an abnormal motion of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve causes a partial obstruction of blood flow out of the left side of the heart. The obstruction can cause turbulent blood flow as the blood exits through the aorta to the rest of the body. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common form of heart disease in cats and can be very unpredictable in nature. With appropriate medication and early intervention, we can often achieve stabilization and sometimes reversal of some of the cardiac changes.

Jackson has been seeing us since 2017 and we'll be keeping an eye on him to make sure his heart works as best it can!

To learn more about CVCA and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, visit https://hubs.li/Q019M5lv0

CVCA Gaithersburg is located inside Veterinary Referral Associates.

03/02/2022

This is Heidi! She was referred by North Fork Animal Hospital and recently visited us to monitor her Degenerative Valve Disease.

After seeing Dr. Tim Cain, DVM, DACVIM and the staff at CVCA Gaithersburg for an exam, we found that Heidi is doing great and her condition is stable!

Degenerative valve disease is the most common form of heart disease in dogs and usually affects the mitral valve. This disease most often affects small breed dogs but, although less common, can also affect larger breed dogs and cats as well. The condition is usually slowly progressive and is caused by abnormalities that develop along the edges of the heart valves. An echocardiogram is the gold standard for definitively diagnosing valve disease.

Heidi has been seeing us since 2019 and we'll continue to monitor her condition regularly to make sure her heart works as best as it can!

To learn more about CVCA and Degenerative Valve Disease, visit https://hubs.li/Q014TpGj0

CVCA Gaithersburg is located inside Veterinary Referral Associates.

02/16/2022

This is Sophie! She was referred by Brookeville Animal Hospital and recently visited us for a heart murmur to get checked out!

After seeing Dr. Tim Cain, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) and the staff at Gaithersburg CVCA for an exam and echocardiogram, we found that Sophie has an innocent physiologic murmur.

An innocent physiologic heart murmur is a heart murmur that has no impact on a dog's health. They can be very common in puppies and usually they will out grow them at 4-5 months of age

We have recommended a recheck plan for Sophie and will work with her parents and primary care veterinarian to keep her happy and healthy!

To learn more about CVCA and heart murmurs, visit https://hubs.li/Q013WSfy0

CVCA Gaithersburg is located inside Veterinary Referral Associates.

01/17/2022

1/17/22 -- Due to inclement weather, CVCA Gaithersburg will have a delayed open at 11:00 AM today. We will keep this page updated If you have any non-urgent inquiries, please email us at [email protected] and we will respond as soon as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience.

01/07/2022

1/7/22 -- Due to inclement weather, CVCA Gaithersburg will have a delayed open at 10:00 AM today. We will keep this page updated If you have any non-urgent inquiries, please email us at [email protected] and we will respond as soon as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience.

01/05/2022

Meet Angel! She was referred to us by College Park Animal Hospital and was last seen by CVCA doctor Tim Cain, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology).

Her mom says: "Angel loves to play with her cat sister and brothers. Life is her way or no way and we better adjust to it. LOL! Angel is a rescue, so we don’t know anything about her life for the first year, but she was abused badly. She has come a long way and still has a few hang ups. I just know we love her." ❤️

For more information about CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets, visit our website: https://hubs.li/Q0118tsC0

CVCA Gaithersburg is located inside of Veterinary Referral Associates.

01/04/2022

1/4/22 -- Due to inclement weather, CVCA Gaithersburg will have a delayed open today at 11:00 AM. We will keep this page updated If you have any non-urgent inquiries, please email us at [email protected] and we will respond as soon as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Address

500 Perry Parkway
Gaithersburg, MD
20877

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12403613820

Website

https://www.cvcavets.com/locations/gaithersburg/

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