Due to the limited number of veterinary cardiologists, appointments with a veterinary cardiologist can take weeks or even months to schedule, sometimes delaying treatment or planned procedures.

 At VICSD, we offer in-house and mobile cardiac ultrasound packages that dramatically reduce wait times – often available within a week of your call.

What’s Included in the Cardiac Ultrasound Package?

Our comprehensive package includes:

• Cardiac ultrasound performed by a trained sonographer
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Systemic blood pressure evaluation
• Remote review by a U.S. board-certified veterinary cardiologist
  • STAT: Within 4 hours
  • Standard: Within 24 hours
• Thoracic radiograph interpretation (if provided or taken at VICSD)
• Detailed report with treatment and follow-up recommendations
  • We will work closely with the referring veterinarian before and after the cardiac ultrasound to ensure the patient receives excellent, personalized care.

A VICSD in-house or mobile cardiac ultrasound appointment utilizes trained cardiac ultrasound techs and telecardiology to dramatically reduce cardiac ultrasound appointment wait times. 

This service is ideal for clinically stable dogs and cats who:

• Can’t wait weeks or months for a cardiologist appointment.
• Do not have suspected congenital heart abnormalities

Call us today: (858) 634-5430.

Fast, expert heart evaluations for pets—without the long wait.

What to Expect with the Cardiac Ultrasound Vsit?

Our friendly veterinarians and assistants will:

• Consult with the pet owners and perform an initial evaluation to ensure the patient is stable.
• Conduct the cardiac ultrasound and related diagnostics.
• Share the results with you and your regular veterinarian.
• Provide follow-up support to ensure your pet receives the best care

The 3 Things VICSD Needs for the Appointment?

To ensure a smooth visit, please provide, or ask your veterinarian to share the following in advance:

1. The patient’s medical records.
2. Pertinent details of any known cardiac issues (e.g., prior ultrasounds, ECGs, medication list, etc.).
3. Recent thoracic radiographs or approval to obtain them at VICSD at the time of the Cardiac Ultrasound.

Report Delivery & Follow-Up

Completed reports are automatically emailed and faxed to the referring veterinarian. Our sonographer will also follow up with your team to assist with any follow-up questions about the cardiac ultrasound results.

All reports are reviewed by board-certified veterinary cardiologists.

Reports include:

• Comprehensive echocardiographic measurements
• Interpretation of the ECG
• Thoracic radiograph evaluation (if provided or taken at VICSD)
• Blood pressure assessment
• Personalized treatment and follow-up recommendations tailored to your pet’s heart condition

How to Refer a Patient

Veterinarians can refer patients by:

• Calling VICSD at (858) 634-5430 and speaking with our amazing VICSD support team.
• Submitting a One-Click Referral® through the Vetology platform.

We are happy to answer your questions and offer support around VICSD’s cardiac ultrasound service. Contact us today!

VICSD’s Excellent Cardiac Ultrasound Team:

Echocardiography Tech:

Sandy Hagen-Ansert is an ARDCS (Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer). Sandy comes to VICSD with extensive experience in performing echocardiographic studies. She is a registered human cardiology tech with over 25 years of clinical and teaching experience in adult and pediatric echocardiography, and over a year of veterinary echocardiography experience. She is the author of the market leading Textbook of Diagnostic Sonography and was previously supervisor of the Scripps Clinic Echo lab.

Veterinarian Echocardiography Tech:

Benjamin James, DVM is an RVMS (Registered Veterinary Medical Sonographer). Dr. James completed 12 months of supervised echocardiography training at VICSD to obtain his RVMS certification. Prior to his echocardiography training, Dr. James completed a 12-month rotating veterinary internship following his graduation from veterinary school.

Cardiologist Review:

VICSD’s outpatient cardiac ultrasounds are reviewed by boarded cardiologists. Report turn-around times can be STAT (<4 hours) or non-STAT (within 24 hours). The cardiology reports include all the echo measurements and a summary of the cardiac ultrasound that also includes interpretation of the ECG, thoracic radiograph evaluation (when included), and blood pressure assessment. The reports also include treatment and follow-up recommendations specifically tailored to each patient’s heart evaluation.