The Animal Heartbeat
Award-winning podcast dedicated to veterinary cardiology, created and hosted by veterinary specialists Kieran Borgeat and Jose Novo Matos. It is designed for vets, nurses, technicians, and students, as well as anyone interested in heart disease in animals. The show features top veterinary cardiology guests from around the world.
Episodes
How to be a feline cardiologist: live from the World Feline Congress 2026
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.What skills do you need to be a feline cardiologist? Does a feline focused cardiologist have a particular personality type? Join our hosts, Jose and Kieran, LIVE from the World Feline Congress 2026, to discuss how we can think like a cat cardiologist and use this to benefit our patients and maximise the potential of diagnostic tests.
Dr Manuela Perego: Ventricular arrhythmias - mechanisms and clinical approach
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Ventricular arrhythmias pose a challenge for all clinicians that face cardiac cases. Although many people are familiar with lidocaine as a first-line drug, there is more complexity in decision making for most dogs beyond the first hour after presentation. Dr Manuela Perego, a European Diplomate in Small Animal Cardiology who is based at the Clinic Veterinaria Mal
Prof Giulio Menciotti: 3-dimensional echocardiography
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.In the 2020s, 3-dimensional echocardiography has become increasingly important for accurate planning of interventional and hybrid surgical procedures, but does this technique have applicability to centres without a surgical bias? Professor Giulio Menciotti has a passion for veterinary echocardiography, and exceptional experience with 3D echo in the clinical and r
Prof Ronald Li: anti-thrombotic drugs and managing ATE
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Arterial thromboembolism in cats is one of the most challenging presentations that we encounter in veterinary cardiology - sudden onset, extremely painful, and associated with a high mortality rate related to the complications of ischaemic neuromyopathy. Trying to better understand the optimal prevention and treatment of ATE in cats has led to uncovering a wealth
Prof Brianna Potter: transoesophageal echocardiography
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE, or TEE if you're of the American English persuasion!) is an increasingly accessible imaging modality for cardiologists in clinical practice. Over the past decade, using TOE as a routine part of patent ductus arteriosus occlusion procedures has become more common in large centres, but great advances in our appreciation
Prof Ryan Fries: advanced imaging in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Are you confident in making a diagnosis of feline HCM? We used to think so too... listen to Prof Ryan Fries, from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, discuss his particular interest and research activity in advanced imaging in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Covering echo technologies such as tissue Doppler imaging and strain-based tech
Prof Tommaso Vezzosi: the assessment of mitral regurgitation severity in dogs
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Mitral regurgitation is one of the most common pathologies in veterinary cardiology, yet most cardiologists do not feel confident in making a direct assessment of MR severity. Does chamber size hold the key, or do we have to perform complex Doppler-derived measurements to achieve a meaningful assessment of back-flow?Professor Tommaso Vezzosi, of The University of
Cardiomyopathy in humans and cats: LIVE from the Cambridge Festival 2026
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.We estimate that 1 in 7 cats have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, compared to 1 in 500 humans. In a number of ways, both species share similar characteristics of disease, and vets often look to the world of human medicine for better understanding. However, some factors about feline HCM appear to be fundamentally different to humans. Join our hosts, Jose and Kieran,
London Vet Show LIVE: Cardiology in Primary Care Practice
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Cardiology is one of the more accessible disciplines for primary care vets, but still poses a number of important challenges for the clinician. Join Jose and Kieran as they host an amazing panel of guests: Rory Cowlam, Cat Henstridge, James Greenwood, and Louisa Graham - experienced GP vets with different levels of enthusiasm for cardiology! Our excellent panel s
Cardiology Controversies 2, with Mark Rishniw
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.In the finale of The Animal Heartbeat Season 3, Kieran and Jose are once again joined by Dr Mark Rishniw. Double-boarded in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Mark works as a VIN Consultant and Research Associate of the Simpson Lab at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Through his numerous educational roles, lectures and publications, Dr Rishniw ha
Cardiology Controversies 1 with Mark Rishniw
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.In the first part of our very special, two-part Animal Heartbeat Season 3 finale, Kieran and Jose are joined by Dr Mark Rishniw. Double-boarded in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Mark works as a VIN Consultant and Research Associate of the Simpson Lab at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Through his numerous educational roles, lectures and publ
Veterinary Specialism, with Dr Julie Rosser, CEO of the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.On Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat, we have been privileged to be joined by a number of cardiology icons - legends in their field. As we come towards the season close, we are joined by Dr Julie Rosser, CEO of the EBVS and a Board Certified ACVS and ECVS Surgeon with a back ground in large animal work in both the USA and Europe. Julie has a broad perspective on t
The Animal Heartbeat: our favourite papers of 2025
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.This week, our hosts Jose and Kieran bring you a discussion of their favourite scientific papers published in 2025. If you are interested in what science influences the cardiology specialists, then listen in for our thoughts on three manuscripts that contain data crucial to veterinary cardiology today.Links to the papers, if you wanted to read along:https://doi.o
Cardiology icons 7: Prof John Bonagura on advancing veterinary echocardiography
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world.In Episode 7 of the Icons series, Prof John Bonagura joins our hosts, Jose and Kieran, to discuss how we can advance our echocardiographic skills in animals. Echocardiography is a fundamental tool for clinicians and
Cardiology icons 6: Prof Kate Meurs on the genetics of heart disease
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world.In this episode, we welcome Prof Kate Meurs, Randall B. Terry Jr Dean of North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Prof Meurs has worked across the fields of clinical vet cardiology and genetic
Cardiology icons 5: Mike Martin on interventional cardiology training and quality improvement
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world.This fifth edition of the Icons series features Mike Martin, RCVS Diplomate in Veterinary Cardiology who founded the first private cardiology specialist practice in the UK and pioneered cardiac interventions in Euro
Cardiology icons 4: Prof Robert Hamlin on key cardiology topics in 50-years as a veterinarian
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world.This episode features Professor Robert Hamlin, of The Ohio State University, Stanton Youngberg Professor Emeritus in Cardiology, and Principal Scientist at Q-Test Labs. Prof Hamlin qualified as a veterinarian in 195
Cardiology icons 3: Dr Phil Fox on feline cardiomyopathy
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world.This episode features Dr Philip Fox, of The Animal Medical Center NY, Chair of the Caspary Research Institute and Service Lead in Cardiology. Dr Fox is well-known for his groundbreaking work on feline cardiomyopathy
Cardiology icons 2: Prof Chris Orton on mechanisms of mitral valve disease and trans catheter edge-to-edge repair
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world.This episode features Professor Chris Orton of Colorado State University. Prof Orton has been a leader in the field of canine heart surgery for over thirty years, having worked to develop both open heart surgery tec
Cardiology icons 1: Prof. Sydney Möise on cardiac arrhythmias
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Season 3 of The Animal Heartbeat is all about the Veterinary Cardiology Icons - those who walk among us as legends of the veterinary cardiology world.This episode features Professor Sydney Möise, of Cornell University, CV Starr Professor Emerita of Cardiology. Prof Möise's research and education output on cardiac arrhythmias has shaped how many of us think a
Artificial Intelligence in Human and Veterinary Cardiology - Live from the Cambridge Festival
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Our Animal Heartbeat live panel discussion in 2025 covers the topic of artificial intelligence and its use in veterinary and human patients. Our panel review topics such as how to validate AI tools, where AI fits in current medicine and how opportunities for its use are evolving, and should we worry about AI?Our hosts Kieran and Jose are joined by a fantastic pan
Top Tips from Two Seasons of The Animal Heartbeat (Live from SPCAV Congress 2025)
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Join Kieran and Jose as guests of the Portuguese Society of Veterinary Cardiology 2025 Congress, where we reflect on the past two seasons of The Animal Heartbeat, and look forward to the upcoming season 3. Our hosts bring their top lessons from season 1 and 2 guests, including advice from Gerhard Wess, Claudio Bussadori and Josh Stern, in front of a live congress
The 2024 Christmas Quiz (part 2)
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.This is part 2 of The Animal Heartbeat Christmas Quiz 2024 - is you have not already done so, make sure to listen to part 1 before enjoying this episode!Merry Christmas to all of our listeners! How better to celebrate the holiday season that a Christmas Quiz? Join Jose and Kieran, alongside some guest hosts - hand picked as future stars of the veterinary cardiolo
The 2024 Christmas Quiz (part 1)
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Merry Christmas to all of our listeners! How better to celebrate the holiday season that a Christmas Quiz? Join Jose and Kieran, alongside some guest hosts - hand picked as future stars of the veterinary cardiology world to test our hosts' knowledge and approach to cardiology case material.Jose and Kieran have each secretly set questions for the other. Liste
11: Hallowe'en Special - the most terrifying heart diseases
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Hallowe'en is a time for bringing people together and sharing scary stories. Did you ever hear the one about the young, newlywed couple who broke down on the country road by the old psychiatric hospital...? No need to worry - this strictly scientific discussion sees Kieran and Jose share stories of the most terrifying heart conditions that they know of. The
10: The LOOK-Mitral Registry, with Prof Michele Borgarelli
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Mitral valve disease is the most common heart disease diagnosed in dogs. Our understanding of it affects how we manage a wide range of scenarios, from asymptomatic heart murmurs detected at annual vaccination, to patients with respiratory signs or those about to undergo sedation or anaesthesia, or simply receive fluid therapy. Join Professor Michele Borgarelli, f
9: Diuretic strategy and overcoming resistance, with Prof Mark Oyama
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Vets understand that the cornerstone of treatment for congestive heart failure in animals is the use of loop diuretics, such as furosemide. But resistance occurs in all patients over time, and intensification of diuretic treatment is a vital part of managing patients with clinical signs - both for left- and right-sided manifestations of disease. How are we best t
8: Echocardiographic measurements, with Prof Lance Visser
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.As veterinary cardiologists, we rely on ultrasound every day to assess cardiac structure and function. Whilst important for owners to understand the cause of a murmur or clinical signs, we use echo to make critical decisions about when and how to treat, and inform conversations with owners about prognosis. The impact of echo on the lives of our patients is greate
7: An equine cardiology safari, with Prof Colin Schwarzwald
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Horses are highly evolved athletes, with mind-bending changes to the cardiovascular system achieved during exercise. How does the spectrum of heart disease compare to that seen in dogs and cats? Join our hosts, Jose and Kieran, as they enjoy a rapid-fire review of equine cardiac disorders with Prof Colin Schwarzwald, director of the Clinic of Equine Internal Medi
6: Screening for feline HCM, with Prof Jens Häggström
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affects 1 in 7 cats overall, and has huge implications for feline health and wellbeing across the globe. Strategies to detect early disease are fundamentally important to both pet owners and cat breeders, so that individual animals and the wider breed can be cared for as needed. Screening for HCM in apparently healthy cats has be
5: Dilated cardiomyopathy and its phenocopies, with Prof Sonya Gordon
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Dilated cardiomyopathy is one of the most challenging diseases in veterinary cardiology. Early detection is key to maximising benefit for individual dogs, but clinical signs are lacking and physical exam may be unremarkable. Adding to this, echocardiographic diagnosis may be subtle, or changes may be caused by a an underlying disease process which is reversible o
4: The Renin-Angiotensin System in 2024, with Prof Marisa Ames
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.We all learned about the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in school... Or did we? This fantastic, in-depth interview on our current understanding of the RAAS will provide a revolutionary new perspective on how we may be able to harness the maladaptive systems that are activated in heart failure for positive purposes in our patients. Join Jose and Kieran as Th
3: Next Generation Treatment of HCM, with Prof Joshua Stern
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Over the last year, research data has indicated some potential hope for anti-hypertrophic drug use in feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In this episode, Prof Joshua Stern, Associate Dean of Research at NC State University and current President of the ACVIM Cardiology Specialty, joins Jose and Kieran to review our most recent understanding of some exciting appro
2: Veterinary Clinical Research, with Prof Adrian Boswood
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.What do you understand by clinical research? What makes a good research study, and what limitations are common in veterinary publications? How should clinical research work impact what we do as clinicians? In this episode, hosts Kieran and Jose interview Professor Adrian Boswood, Vice Principal at the Royal Veterinary College and active clinician-researcher in ca
1: Heart surgery in dogs vs. humans: LIVE from the Cambridge Festival
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Welcome to Season 2 of The Animal Heartbeat! It's great to be back. Join our hosts, Kieran and Jose, as they facilitate a panel discussion featuring world-renowned experts from the canine and human cardiology world. This fascinating special episode covers a range of topics centred around mitral and aortic surgery in dogs and humans, and compares the human an
Christmas Special pt2: The 12 Heart Diseases of Christmas
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Christmas Day! As the roast dinner is cooking and the Prosecco is being chilled, join Jose and Kieran as they finalise their choice for top heart disease of 2023. Make sure to listen to the end for "The 12 Heart Diseases of Christmas" song in full!
Christmas Special pt1: The 12 Heart Diseases of Christmas
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Christmas Eve. As Father Christmas readies the reindeer, what better way to prepare for festivities than discussing our favourite 12 heart diseases of Christmas? Join Kieran and Jose as they review their top heart disease facts and begin the process of selecting their favourite heart disease of 2023.
12: Live Special, from ECVIM Congress 2023
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Recorded live at ECVIM Congress in 2023, this very special season finale see Kieran and Jose interview six incredible veterinary cardiology Diplomates from across the globe. Prof Roberto Santilli (Cornell / Malpensa) discusses his work on atrial depolarisation waves in SVT; David Connolly (RVC) considers the next generation of drugs to treat HCM in cats; Michele
11: Prof Anna Gelzer & Dr Brigite Pedro, on Atrial Fibrillation
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Atrial fibrillation is a common and often debilitating arrhythmia, which can affect a heterogenous patient population. Being in atrial fibrillation reduces cardiac output significantly, and can lead to a vicious circle of tachycardia and cardiac remodelling. Join Jose and Kieran as they interview Professor Anna Gelzer, from the University of Pennsylvania in the U
10: Prof Brian Scansen, on Pulmonary Valve Stenosis
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Pulmonary valve stenosis has become the most common congenital heart disease in dogs, and changes to the breeding population of dogs across the world over the last 20 years has seemingly influenced the morphology of the disease that we identify. In turn, this has posed challenges to cardiologists in terms of selecting the best diagnostic methods and approaches to
9: Prof Gerhard Wess, on dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Dilated cardiomyopathy is a common disease in dogs, which is almost uniquely difficult to diagnose in the early stages. In this episode, Kieran and Jose interview Prof Gerhard Wess, a clinician and researcher who leads the cardiology department at the LMU University of Munich, Germany. Prof Wess brings his extensive, decades-spanning experience of diagnosing and
8: Dr Claudio Bussadori, on aortic stenosis in dogs
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Dr Claudio Bussadori, inspirational veterinary specialist in cardiology and experienced human interventional cardiologist from the Clinica Veterinaria Gran Sasso in Milan, discusses aortic stenosis with Jose and Kieran. In the 23-years since he led the seminal guidelines used to assess the severity of congenital outflow tract stenosis in dogs, our understanding a
7: Prof Luis Fuentes on Treating Feline Cardiomyopathy, Beyond Furosemide and Clopidogrel
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.In the first of our special guest episodes, Professor Virginia Luis Fuentes from the Royal Veterinary College, London, joins Kieran and Jose to talk about treating cardiomyopathy in cats - beyond furosemide and clopidogrel. Listen in as Prof Luis Fuentes, a world-renowned expert and thought leader in feline heart disease, describes how she approaches a variety of
6: Pulmonary hypertension
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Pulmonary hypertension is a common complicating factor of heart disease in dogs, but is a cardiovascular disorder in its own right, associated with a number of primary disease processes. In this episode, Jose and Kieran discuss the diagnosis, causes and management of pulmonary hypertension in dogs.
5: Mitral valve disease prognostic indicators - pt2
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.In the second part of their discussion on mitral valve disease prognostic indicators, Jose and Kieran talk about what echo measurements provide the most useful assessment of prognosis in stage B disease, consider whether there is a place for using cardiac biomarkers in monitoring pre-clinical dogs, and review the recent literature covering how best to predict pro
4: Mitral valve disease prognostic indicators - pt1
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Mitral valve disease in dogs is the most common disorder encountered in veterinary cardiology. In this episode, Kieran and Jose discuss what factors could predict those dogs which are more likely to progress, what tests could be used to assess dogs with stage B mitral valve disease in primary care practice, and why the assessment of regurgitant fraction on echo m
3: Heart murmurs in puppies
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Jose and Kieran discuss heart murmurs in juvenile dogs. What findings make a heart murmur less likely to be pathological, and are there any ways of identifying young dogs with the most significant heart disease in primary care practice? What about those puppies with complex congenital disease that is not associated with an obvious heart murmur - can we identify w
2: Feline cardiomyopathy pt2 - echocardiographic findings
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Join Kieran and Jose in the second part of a special series-opener on the topic of feline cardiology, focusing on echocardiographic findings in cats with cardiomyopathy. Here, we delve into the topic of differentials for left ventricular hypertrophy (so-called phenocopies of HCM), prognostic factors associated with morphology, and when to intervene in pre-clinic
1: Feline cardiomyopathy pt1 - approach to suspected heart disease in asymptomatic cats
Message our hosts, Kieran and Jose.Join veterinary cardiology specialists, Kieran Borgeat and Jose Novo Matos, in a discussion of feline heart disease. This is the first of a two-part series opening special, covering how to approach heart murmurs in cats, when it may be useful to use blood tests in screening, and how to facilitate performing a heart scan in feline patients.
