Outpatient Veterinary Cardiology Service

In support of our promise to provide the safest and most advanced dentistry and oral surgery for dogs and cats, we are pleased to announce the addition of veterinary cardiologist Dr. Megan King and comprehensive cardiology services to our Mt. Laurel, NJ, location. Patients with suspected or diagnosed heart disease can now be seen by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist.

Outpatient cardiology appointments are available Tuesday-Thursday. Patients DO NOT need to be seeing dentistry or oral surgery to be cared for by Dr. King. Our veterinary cardiology services are open to the community.

We are the first and only veterinary dentistry and oral surgery practice in the nation with anesthesiology and cardiology specialists available to care for each patient. Dentistry or oral surgery patients with cardiac concerns can now be seen by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist on the day of their procedure to assess heart health [if necessary] prior to general anesthesia. Along with our cardiologist’s assessment, one of our board-certified veterinary anesthesiologists will design and monitor an anesthetic protocol tailored to each patient’s needs, leading to safer procedures and better outcomes.

Veterinary cardiologists are specialists that have obtained board certification from the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the subspecialty of Cardiology. This means they have advanced training in the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They focus on diagnosing and treating diseases, which include but are not limited to:

• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Cardiac tumors
• Congenital or acquired heart defects
• Congestive heart failure
• Coughing and other breathing problems
• Diseases of the pericardium
• Heart muscle disease (Dilated cardiomyopathy or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
• High blood pressure
• Pulmonary hypertension

Common Signs of Cardiac Disease

• Chronic cough
• Exercise intolerance
• Fainting
• Fluid accumulation in chest or abdomen
• Heart murmur
• Irregular heartbeat
• Shortness of breath

Heart Health and Anesthesia

Because the drugs used in sedation and anesthesia can change a patient’s blood pressure and heart rate, our anesthesiologists need to be sure their patients’ hearts are safeguarded for the duration of the procedure. Therefore, if a cardiac condition is present, it is imperative that a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, and dentist work closely together to ensure a positive outcome. VDS Mt. Laurel has this unique combination of expertise on staff who work together on all patients. As a team, they will carefully select the types and dosages of sedative and anesthetic drugs and monitor the patient’s breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate before, during, and after the procedure.