Differentiation of Cardiac and Respiratory Disease in the Dog
The differentiation of signs of cardiac and respiratory disease remains a challenge to veterinary practitioners. Therapeutic efforts are markedly compromised when this distinction is not correctly made. This presentation will provide practical methods for this differentiation against a back-drop of a clinical presentation of a coughing dog with a heart murmur.
 

Management of Cardiovascular Disease: New Drugs and New Approaches
After a clinically relevant and brief review of pathophysiology, a practical discussion of the management of heart failure will follow, with emphasis on: when to initiate, renal safety, and comparative aspects of ACE inhibitors; new and safer use of digoxin; new concepts in diuretic therapy; vasodilators in the emergency room; Beta blockers in heart failure; new inodilator and neurohormonal therapies; and nutraceuticals.
 

Diagnosis and Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Feline heart diseases will be discussed with an emphasis on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the most common heart disease in cats. The comparative frequency and differentiation of feline heart diseases will be provided. After a clinically applicable review of the pathophysiology of feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, methods of diagnosis, and a comparison of the treatment modalities will be presented. Discussion will also include prognosis for HCM, prevention of saddle thrombi, and diagnostic pitfalls and their avoidance. The emerging diseases, restrictive cardiomyopathy and endomyocarditis, are often confusing. These conditions will be briefly discussed. Learn what may be cause of unexpected anesthetic death in young cats in your practice and how to protect yourself. Finally a differential diagnostic approach to cardiorespiratory disease in cats will be presented.
 

Canine and Feline Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Case Presentations
Actual cases seen in the NCSU clinic will be presented to expand upon and underscore the points made in the previous lectures. Cases will be presented as unknowns to allow audience participation in the diagnosis and management.