In-House Referral Clinics

Cardiology Clinics

Veterinary Surgeon, Oliver Garrod, runs cardiology clinics at the hospital every Monday morning.

He sees pets that have been referred to him because they have shown the symptoms of heart related conditions, for example murmurs, collapse, breathlessness, exercise intolerance.

Oliver uses a range of diagnostic equipment and techniques for assessing heart function:

Radiography (x-ray) is used for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure (fluid in the lungs). Radiography allows Oliver to see the size of the heart in proportion to the chest, so that he can check whether or not the heart has become enlarged.

It is also used to monitor the response to treatments.
High or low blood pressure can be another sign of heart disease and Oliver will therefore use the Blood Pressure Monitor.
The ECG monitor checks the electrical activity of the heart and will show any rhythm disturbance.

For more complex rhythmic problems, Oliver has access to a 24 hour ECG Holter monitor which allows him to monitor the heart rhythms over a longer period of time.
Ultrasound scanning is used to look at blood flow, heart wall and chamber size, valve appearance and blood flows through them. It is important in finding the actual problem with the heart that is causing the clinical signs.

Medicine Clinics

Veterinary surgeon, Hanne Gundersen, runs medicine clinics at the hospital every Tuesday and Wednesday.

These clinics are used to work up complex medicine cases in which animals have been referred for a number of conditions including; weight loss, vomiting, cancer, breathing and respiratory problems, liver and kidney disease.

Hanne uses a range of diagnostic equipment including:

Ultrasound machine	to evaluate internal abdominal organs

Radiograph (x-ray)	to assess the lungs, nasal cavities and abdominal organs

Flexible endoscope (camera)	to look down into the oesophagus, stomach, small intestines, large intestines and airways to assess the general appearance and take biopsies (samples) if diseased.

Rigid endoscope (camera)	to look up into the nostrils, and also the female reproductive tract. The rigid endoscope is also used in laparoscopy (key hole surgery)

Blood machine	to evaluate red and white blood cells and biochemical parameters.

On these days, Hanne also performs chemotherapy on cancer patients which are amenable to treatment.