Pet Cardiology in Vancouver — Heart Checks for Dogs and Cats
Heart disease in dogs and cats often develops quietly. A heart murmur heard at a routine exam is often the first sign that something has changed, and many heart problems show few signs at all until they are well along. That is why heart checks are part of your pet’s care at Beach Avenue Animal Hospital in Vancouver’s West End — we listen to the heart and lungs at every exam, and when something sounds different, we follow up with cardiology checks.
Heart murmurs are a common reason to book diagnostics. Many murmurs are mild and simply need monitoring, while others need treatment, and testing is how we tell the difference. Whether your pet is a puppy or kitten having a first exam, an adult dog or cat due for a check-up, or a senior pet who is slowing down, a heart check gives us a clear picture of how the heart is doing — and a plan for what to do next.
What Pet Cardiology Covers
Pet cardiology covers heart checks, heart murmur assessments and cardiac diagnostics for dogs and cats. If we hear a heart murmur at your pet’s exam, or your dog or cat is coughing, tiring quickly, or breathing faster than usual, cardiology checks help us work out what the heart is doing. We listen carefully to the heart and lungs, check blood pressure, and use bloodwork and X-rays to look for changes.
- Heart murmur assessments — listening for murmurs, and deciding whether monitoring or testing is the next step.
- Heart disease checks — looking for signs of heart disease in dogs and cats, including changes in breathing, energy and appetite.
- Blood pressure checks — measuring blood pressure as part of a heart assessment.
- Bloodwork — in-house laboratory testing that can show changes linked to heart and organ health.
- Digital X-rays — in-house chest X-rays to look at heart size and shape and the lungs.
- Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) — availability varies, so please call to confirm before booking.
Cardiac diagnostics at BAAH are part of our in-house pet diagnostics vancouver service — bloodwork and digital X-rays are done here, often on the same day as your visit, so we can move from question to answer without a long wait. An echocardiogram (a heart ultrasound) is not always available on site, so please call to confirm before booking.
When to See a Vet About Your Pet’s Heart
Call us to book a heart check if your dog or cat shows any of these signs:
- Coughing that is new, frequent, or worse at night or after exercise
- Tiring easily, or tiring more quickly than usual on walks and play
- Breathing changes, including breathing faster than usual or working harder to breathe
- Fainting or collapse
- Reduced appetite, or eating less than usual
- Reduced energy, hiding, or a pet who is “just not themselves”
- A heart murmur found at an exam
Some of these signs can also point to other problems — a cough, for example, can come from the lungs or airways as well as the heart — which is why an exam and testing matter: they help us tell a heart problem from something else. Keeping up with dental care matters too: dental disease can affect the heart, liver and kidneys, so we take oral health seriously as part of your pet’s overall care.
If your pet is very unwell, breathing with difficulty, or collapses, call us right away at (778) 760-0000 and we will tell you the fastest next step.
What Happens at a Cardiology Visit?
1. We listen first. You tell us what has changed — when the coughing started, how quickly your pet tires, how they are eating and drinking, and what worries you most.
2. We examine your pet. A full nose-to-tail exam, listening carefully to the heart and lungs and checking blood pressure, helps us decide which tests will actually answer the question.
3. We test when it is needed. Bloodwork and X-rays are usually done during the visit, so we can look for changes in the heart and lungs. If an echocardiogram is needed, we will confirm availability when you book.
4. We explain the results in plain language. We go through what each result means, what the options are, what each costs, and what to watch for at home. Many murmurs are mild and simply need monitoring; others need treatment — and testing is how we tell the difference.
What a Cardiology Visit Costs
An exam starts at $89 ($93.45 including tax). The exact total depends on what the exam finds and which tests are needed, so we do not publish a fixed price for cardiology care — call for an estimate for your pet, and we will explain what the exam and any recommended tests cost before we go ahead.
Does my pet need a heart check, and what will it cost? That depends on your pet’s signs and what the exam finds — call and tell us what’s happening, and we’ll confirm a time and the exam price.
Why Choose BAAH for Pet Cardiology in Vancouver?
We are a small, family-run West End clinic, and heart checks here are done by the same team that knows your pet — not sent away to a stranger. That means a clear plan that fits your pet’s whole picture, and honest advice about when a test is needed, when monitoring is enough, and when a referral is the right choice. A pet wellness exam is a good time to ask whether your pet is due for a heart check, and our pet diagnostics vancouver service is there when an exam finds something that needs a closer look.
Book a Heart Check in Vancouver
Call BAAH at (778) 760-0000 to book a heart check for your dog or cat in Vancouver, or use the contact form at the bottom of this page. We are at 1000 Beach Ave #111, Vancouver, BC. Our hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 8 am–7 pm, Thursday 9 am–5 pm, and Sunday 9 am–2 pm; we are closed on Mondays. Same-day appointments are often available — call early in the day.
