When Your Pet Might Need
an Electrocardiogram
Several symptoms may prompt our team to recommend an electrocardiogram for your pet:
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Exercise intolerance
- Coughing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Abnormal lung sounds
- Heart murmur
- Irregular pulse
How an Electrocardiogram Is Performed
No special preparation is needed for an electrocardiogram. Your pet will either be standing or lying on an exam room table during the test. We will apply a special conduction gel to help electrical signals travel to the ECG machine. We will also apply electrodes to your pet’s skin at the base of each leg. The procedure takes anywhere from one to several minutes, and we will keep your pet still during this time.
The ECG will tell us whether your pet’s heart rate is normal. It will also help us identify any irregularities in the rhythm and determine if the heart is of normal size.
The ECG will tell us whether your pet’s heart rate is normal. It will also help us identify any irregularities in the rhythm and determine if the heart is of normal size.
