The Animal Heartbeat

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 techniques, to contrast enhanced echo and cardiac MRI, Prof Fries and our hosts Jose Novo Matos and Kieran Borgeat delve deep into what the future might hold for better understanding the diagnosis and outcomes in cats with left ventricular hypertrophy.

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 Pisa, joins our hosts Kieran and Jose to discuss a practical approach to the assessment of mitral regurgitation severity in dogs.

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, as they chair a fascinating panel discussion of world-recognised experts in veterinary and human HCM - with a live audience from The Cambridge Festival 2026.
We were incredibly fortunate to be joined by outstanding leaders in both human and feline cardiology and pathology:
- Professor Mary Sheppard – Head of Cardiovascular Pathology, City St George’s University of London; President, Pathology Section, Royal Society of Medicine
- Professor Juan Pablo Kaski – Professor of Paediatric Inherited Cardiovascular Medicine, UCL; Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Director, Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases
- Professor David Connolly – Professor of Veterinary Cardiology, Royal Veterinary College

This discussion brings together human and veterinary experts to discuss HCM across species, exploring similarities and differences in diagnosis, and management -  a truly translational perspective.

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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 share their perspectives on the utility of NT-proBNP in cats with a heart murmur, how vets can use staging systems for heart disease, and a number of other primary-care focused topics - live from the London Vet Show in 2025.
Held each November at the London ExCel, the London Vet Show is the biggest event in the calendar of the UK vet profession. This year, LVS debuted their new showcase for talent, The Studio.

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 has become known as a critical thinker who is on a mission to bust myths and break down barriers to communication.
In part two, join Mark as he shares his perspectives on coughing in heart failure, and the publication process in 2025.