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Monday 8:30am - 5pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm Thursday 8:30am - 5pm Friday 8:30am - 5pm

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets, 2030 NE 42nd Avenue, Portland, OR (2025)

01/07/2025

In a world full of roses, be a daisy! 🌼

Daisy was referred to us by Northwest Veterinary Hospital due to a progressive heart murmur.

Daisy came to see Dr. Gregg Rapoport, DVM, DACVIM at our Portland, OR location. Echocardiographic findings revealed myxomatous valve disease - ACVIM stage B2. This stage includes evidence of myxomatous degeneration (e.g., thickened mitral valve leaflets) and at least mild enlargement of the left atrium and left ventricle, but no previous or current signs of heart failure.

This condition is characterized by thickening of one or more of the four valves in the heart (in Daisy’s case, the mitral valve), allowing backward flow of blood. This is called valvular insufficiency or regurgitation (e.g., mitral regurgitation). With more advanced disease, this can lead to heart enlargement and eventually to congestive heart failure, or accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

Daisy does have a degree of heart enlargement such that she may benefit from a medication called pimobendan. This drug has been shown to delay progression to congestive heart failure in dogs with this condition. This medication increases the heart’s contractile strength and relaxes blood vessels, making it easier to pump blood forward.

We will continue to monitor Daisy closely to ensure she continues to live a comfortable life!

01/06/2025

A CVCA team member, Abi, is here to celebrate National Cuddle Up Day with you!!

January typically has some of the coldest days of the year, so what better way to stay warm and reap the health benefits of cuddling in National Cuddle Up Day? Whether it's a two-dog night (a night so cold it takes two dogs to cuddle up with to stay warm) or only slightly chilly, there are multiple benefits to cuddling with a furry friend. 🤗

01/01/2025

Happy New Years from CVCA!! 🥳

01/01/2025

Our team wishes you a Happy New Year! 🎉

12/19/2024

I've waffled before. I'll waffle again. 🧇

In cats that have the obstructive form of HCM (such as Waffle), one of the heart’s valves (the mitral valve) is pulled out of its proper position when the heart contracts. Instead of being closed and preventing backward flow of blood, this valve is pulled into the path of blood as it exits the left ventricle and enters the aorta. The abnormally positioned mitral valve creates an obstruction to forward blood flow, which may provide an additional reason for thickening of a left ventricle that is already too thick. The abnormal position of the mitral valve also causes a backward leak through the valve (“mitral regurgitation”), since part of the valve is not in the correct location to do its job. In Waffle’s case, the obstructive component of his condition is mild. While it contributes to and may even completely account for his heart murmur, it does not require medical therapy.

Fortunately, Waffle does not have any left atrial enlargement at this time. Therefore, the likelihood that he will develop congestive heart failure appears low for the immediate future. Similarly, he does not appear to be at risk for or a thromboembolic event at this time. We hope this will remain the case but we plan to monitor Waffle’s heart closely to ensure the best quality of life!

12/12/2024

Sweater game strong! 🧣

Do dogs need sweaters? Great question!!

As the weather outside starts to get cold, it’s important to ensure that your dog is warm and comfortable. While some breeds of dogs naturally have a dense fur coat that keeps them warm in cold weather, that isn’t the case for all dogs.

Dogs that most frequently struggle in colder temperatures are small dogs, especially toy breeds, and dogs without thick fur. Lean dogs with short fur, such as Azawakhs, Whippet, and Greyhounds, also frequently benefit from sweaters during cold weather since they don’t have a lot of fur or body fat to insulate them. Hairless breeds, including the Xoloitzcuintli, American Hairless Terrier, Peruvian Inca Orchid, and Chinese Crested Dog, may need sweaters during cool and cold weather as they can become cold quickly. Other dogs who benefit from sweaters include dogs whose fur has been shaved, young puppies, and senior dogs.

When selecting sweaters for your dog it’s important to ensure you pick the right size and fit. A properly fitting dog sweater will fit your dog without being too big or too tight. A baggy sweater can result in your dog getting caught or tangled in the sweater. Not only is this uncomfortable, but it can also be scary or cause your dog to trip and get injured. On the other hand, a sweater that is too tight can restrict movement, which is uncomfortable and can also lead to injuries. A properly fitted sweater should allow your dog to move normally and not restrict their movement while they walk, run, or play.

Avoid leaving your dog unattended while they’re wearing a sweater. Dogs who are unsupervised can become entangled in their sweaters, which could also lead to injuries. Even dogs who are comfortable and like wearing sweaters can accidentally become tangled. If you’re going to leave your dog unattended at home or in a crate, it’s best to remove the sweater first.

Stay warm everyone!! ❄

12/09/2024

Happy International Day of Veterinary Medicine! 🩺

Come join us in recognizing and appreciating the vital work done by veterinarians worldwide!

This day shines a light on the important role veterinarians play not only in animal health but also in human health and welfare.

Veterinarians do more than just take care of our pets; they’re involved in groundbreaking medical research that benefits both animals and humans, work tirelessly to improve animal welfare, and are key players in managing public health concerns.

Their expertise spans a wide range of areas, from cardiology, critical care, shelter medicine and parasitology to complex fields like epidemiology and zoonotic diseases. This day encourages us to show gratitude for their hard work and dedication.

Celebrating this day can involve anything from thanking your local vet with a note or card to learning and sharing information about the latest advancements in veterinary science.It’s a moment to acknowledge that healthy animals lead to healthier communities and that the well-being of animals and humans is deeply interconnected.

A BIG shout out to our CVCA cardiologists! All of you make this world a better place, we couldn't do it without you. 👏🐕🐈

12/05/2024

HAPPY SHELTER PETS DAY (which is on the first Thursday after Thanksgiving)!

How to Celebrate:

🐶 Support a shelter
-Shelters often rely on donations to feed and care for their pets, and sometimes they run on a tight budget. Money, though, is not the only way to show support. You can donate supplies such as food, litter, or toys.

😺 Adopt a pet from a shelter
-A good way to celebrate is to adopt a pet from a shelter. Adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment that requires planning. Once you have made plans and are ready to make that pet a part of your family, don’t hesitate to go for it!

🐶 Spoil your pet
-If you already have a pet that you adopted from a shelter then, today would be a good day to spoil them with treats, do their favorite activity, or anything you think would brighten up their day!

11/11/2024

Falling leaves and floppy ears, that's our kind of autumn.🍂

11/05/2024

Hey! Hey you! Ya YOU! Are you checking respiration rates ❓❓

It's always good to know how to monitor your pet’s sleeping respiratory rate at home!

A rate greater than 30 breaths per minute or an increase from normal rates could be an early sign of congestive heart failure. This should be done once daily. When your pet is truly asleep (as opposed to resting but awake).

You can obtain this rate by counting the number of times that a breath is taken in 15 seconds and multiplying that number by 4 (or in 30 seconds, multiplied by 2). If that number is greater than 30, or if you notice an upward trend in your pet’s respiratory rates (e.g., if it is generally in the high teens but starts trending into the 20s), please call your local cardiologist to determine whether medical therapy or even an ER visit is necessary.

If you like, you can use the Cardalis app to help count and track your pet’s respiratory rates over time. This is a useful and free app that is available through either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store!

Happy breathing! 😸🐶

10/31/2024

Happy Halloween from CVCA and some of our amazing patients! 🎃

10/24/2024

Life is Golden. 💛

This handsome 10-year-old is Mowgli!

Mowgli's first visit with CVCA was in January 2024. He returned to us for a re-evaluation of ACVIM stage B1 myxomatous valve disease.

Results revealed great news!! His heart remains normal in size and the remainder of his chest cavity also appears normal. Based on a lack of apparent heart enlargement, there is no need to begin any cardiac medications at this time. Yayyyy Mowgli!! 🐕

10/15/2024

Hey everyone!! CVCA Portland is coordinating a costume contest for employees, clients, and non-clients, come join the fun! 👻

10/15/2024

Happy Vet Tech Appreciation Week!!

Please join us in thanking the amazing Veterinary Nurses and Assistants who make CVCA run so smoothly. You deserve to be celebrated! ❤🥳

10/11/2024

The spookiest night of the year will be here before we know it! 👻 As you make your plans, here are some pet-safety tips to remember! 🐾

10/08/2024

What is P I M O B E N D A N ❓❓

Pimobendan (Vetmedin) lowers the pressure in both the arteries and veins, as well as improves heart muscle strength. This improves blood flow to the body without causing heart muscle damage. It has greatly improved the quality of life and life expectancy of pets with advanced heart disease.

Sweet Febe recently came in to see CVCA and was diagnosed with degenerative mitral valve disease (ACVIM stage B2). Our plan is to start her on Pimobendan to help increase the pumping power of her heart, while also decreasing its workload. We will keep a close eye on her to ensure she continues to avoid cardiac symptoms and lives a long happy life! 🖤🤍

10/03/2024

Your life changes forever when you're chosen to be loved by a westie. 🤍

Oliver's echocardiogram revealed a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PHT).

What is PHT❓PHT is a condition of high blood pressure within the vasculature of the lungs (in the pulmonary arteries, veins, and/or capillary system). Pulmonary hypertension is not usually a primary disease entity of itself but is often secondary to other primary diseases. Clinical signs of this disease include difficulty breathing, exercise intolerance, weakness, and syncope (fainting). If severe and chronic, PHT can lead to progressive structural changes to the right heart and congestive heart failure (fluid buildup in the abdomen and around the lungs secondary to cardiac dysfunction).

At Oliver's re-evaluation, his hypertension GREATLY improved after medical therapy, which is great news! We plan to keep a close eye on Oliver to keep him stable for even longer.

10/01/2024

Did you know roughly 6.5 million animals enter animal shelters each year, according to ASPCA? If you’re looking to welcome a furry friend into your family, consider your local animal shelter! ❤️

Did you adopt your pet from a shelter? We’d love to see a picture of them in the comments!

10/01/2024

National Walk Your Dog Week is observed between October 1 to 7! 🐾

Is your pooch a fan of getting outdoors and taking a walk? If that is the case, this week is an ideal time to play outdoors. 🍂 You and your dog may join a nationwide celebration highlighting the advantages of walking together. Therefore, it is time to get out those shoes and prepare your puppy’s paw pads for National Walk Your Dog Week! 🎊

This time serves as a reminder to pet owners that exercise is critical for the health of their canine companions. ❤

Post a photo of you walking your beloved furry companion and tag us ! We would love to see photos of you and your pup(s) celebrating!

Happy walking!! 🍃

02/15/2024

Hey everyone! We are participating in a fun competition, winner gets a prize!!! Please vote (like) CVCA Portland! Thank yooooou!! 😘🤗❤

01/03/2024

This happy boy is Oscar! 😍 He was referred to us by Cascade Animal Hospital due to a recently noted heart murmur.

After his initial exam and echocardiogram with William Rausch, DVM, DACVIM, he was diagnosed with a heart condition called “dilated cardiomyopathy,” often abbreviated as “DCM.”

This is a condition in which the heart’s ability to contract is reduced, particularly affecting the main pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle. With more advanced disease, forward pumping of blood can become ineffective enough that pressure increases in the left atrium, the chamber behind the left ventricle in the cardiovascular system. Further back-up of pressure can lead to congestive heart failure or accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

The development of DCM for Oscar is likely related to the diet that he has been eating. While there are many unanswered questions on this topic, concerns have been raised about a possible association between certain diets and the development of DCM in dogs. You may see the term “BEG diets” online, an acronym used to include a group of diets that have raised concerns among some veterinary nutritionists and cardiologists. The “B” stands for so-called boutique diets, meaning diets manufactured by smaller pet food companies. The “E” refers to diets containing “exotic” ingredients; some examples include legumes (e.g., lentils or chickpeas) or potatoes that are often used to replace grains; other examples include unusual meats, fruits, or vegetables. The “G” refers to grain-free diets; these have received the most attention but do not account for all cases of diet-associated DCM, nor has the absence of grain been confirmed to be the culprit even in those diets that do not contain it (since these are the same diets which often contain legumes or potato as major ingredients to replace grain).

Due to these concerns and the potentially significant benefit of making a change, we strongly recommended transitioning Oscar to a diet that includes grain and one that does not include legumes (e.g., peas, lentils, or beans) or potatoes (white or sweet potatoes) as any of the first 10 listed ingredients.

While there is still much to be learned about the issue of diet-associated cardiomyopathy in dogs, feeding a diet that meets these guidelines appears to be the safest approach and this is what was recommended for sweet Oscar.

We will continue to monitor Oscar closely with his diet change to make sure he remains a healthy and happy pup! 🖤🤍

12/29/2023

Working with our wonderful patients and clients this past year has been a joy. 🥰 Thank you for your kind reviews and your continuous support of us!

❤ Getting cardiology care for my dog through CVCA was a great experience. Dr. Allen was not only incredibly knowledgeable, but also compassionate and personable in how she delivered the news about our dog’s diagnosis. She sat me down with a diagram she drew on while she carefully explained our dog’s condition, and sent me home with a detailed summary report as a reference. Email and phone contact with the office before the appointment and after for follow-up questions was easy and efficient. Our appointment was right on time and I was given accurate price quotes and time expectations beforehand. Overall, I was impressed by CVCA’s expertise and service and will be back.

❤ The doctors and staff at CVCA are compassionate, knowledgeable, and very communicative. They provide excellent care, and are prompt in answering all my questions, and addressing all the cardiac concerns I have for my pet. The support staff is very friendly, and my pet genuinely enjoys coming to see them for visits. So happy and thankful I found CVCA!

❤ Dr Allen was very kind and extremely thorough. She explained everything in terms I could easily understand and she couldn’t have been sweeter to Zoe. The members of the staff whom we encountered were also very kind and helpful. I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that we are in excellent hands. Thank you.

❤ Dr. Meghan Allen and her team are exceptional — helpful, compassionate, patient, with expertise in veterinary cardiology. We were so impressed with all the time Dr Allen spent explaining our dog’s diagnosis and suggested treatment. She never appeared to be in a hurry and answered all our questions. Truly a rockstar in her specialty!

❤ My dog received a (very serious, but thankfully incorrect) heart-related cancer diagnosis from an internist at a different vet clinic in October, and was referred to CVCA to take a better look and confirm the diagnosis. Dr. Rapoport stayed late that same day so I that I wouldn't have to sit with the uncertainty. He took the time to walk me through my dog's x-ray and echocardiogram results so I could understand exactly what was going on (and why the initial diagnosis had been incorrect); and was incredibly kind on what was probably the longest and most emotional day of my life. He also was able to recommend and write a referral to a great oncologist, who has since treated my dog's thymoma. I'm very grateful for the experience at CVCA and would absolutely recommend them to anyone whose dog or cat family members need heart care.

❤ Really awesome experience. Every person who helped us was extremely welcoming. Dr. Allen was SO nice and knowledgeable - we got a very thorough evaluation of our dog’s heart condition and the next steps to take. 10/10 recommend this place, very happy with our experience!

❤ Wonderful place. Very professional and knowledgeable. They seem to love pets. Our Bolt loves them too.

❤ Our chocolate Labrador Retriever, Buster Brown, was seen to rule out an enlarged heart. Communication was top notch and they were very gentle with him. I would certainly recommend to any dog owner in need of a cardiac evaluation.

❤ They were very accommodating to schedule a last minute appointment for my dog. Staff was friendly and respectful. Dr Allen was kind, patient, and knowledgeable.

❤ You all are the absolute best in everything you do. Very knowledgeable, personable, caring and upfront in a professional but empathetic way with my pets and myself. My last dog, Lucy, and my current dog, Little Bit, have/had heart conditions. I brought my old little cat Lady, Hippo, for a recheck echo with Dr. Allen today and had a fantastic experience. Both Dr. Allen and the veterinary assistant, Cassie, were so kind and nice to me and Hippo. They were so genuine in their care that it made me feel relaxed and comfortable (as someone who gets bad anxiety bringing their loved one in to the hospital). Everything was thoroughly explained and the appointment itself went smoothly. Hippo is now happily snoozing at home, signs that she had a wonderful stress free experience too. I'm so grateful for the staff here and the care we both received was top notch!

❤ Given the best care possible by Dr. Rapaport and his Staff. I am so thankful for everything you do!

CVCA Portland is wishing you a HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🥳

‼️ Note: We will be closed Monday, January 1, 2024 and back to regular buisness hours on Tuesday, January 2nd.

12/28/2023

Did you know⁉️ About 30% of Maine C**n cats have a genetic mutation that makes it more likely that they will develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – thickening of the muscle walls of the heart.

The best way to discover any early heart diseases is to get an OFA Certification from your local Cardiologist. This is a common test for many breeders, such as Hilary, who had “Simba” (as seen below) screened with Dr. Gregg Rapoport.

Fun facts about Maine C**ns:

🐱 Most domestic cats reach a height between 9 and 10 inches, but the average Maine C**n has a height between 10 and 16 inches!

🐱 While most cats grow to a length of 18 inches, Maine C**ns can reach an amazing 40 inches in length.

🐱 The average cat’s tail measures around 12 inches long, Maine C**n tails are usually around 16 inches long!

🐱 Maine C**ns were named the official state cat of Maine in 1985.

Check out Hilary’s page, 4PetsakeMaineC**ns.com for more information about adopting a Maine C**n!

12/21/2023

"Cupcake" wanted to inform you that CVCA Portland will be closed on Monday, December 25th, and Tuesday, December 26th. We will be back to regular business hours on Wednesday, December 27th.

We hope everyone has a meow-velous holiday! 🐾

12/07/2023

CVCA Portland wants to give a big THANK YOU to those who donated toward our local food drive. You helped make a difference to those in need in our community and we are forever grateful.🙏 "When we help people in need, our entire community is strengthened."

12/06/2023

A sweet message from Chonk's caretaker: 🥰

Chonk was given a steroid that didn’t agree with him. After Chonk's scary near death experience, CVCA Portland helped Chonk continue to live a long life. I am forever thankful for the folks at CVCA!

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets

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Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm