Idiopathic Issues

Some vet students struggle through their cardiology courses, looking at ECG tracings like some sort of Rorschach test that requires significant creativity to interpret.

(Full disclosure: I was one of those students!) Other students, however, love cardiology. From the ECGs to the echocardiogram images, they enjoy the challenges and rewards of diagnosing and treating cardiovascular conditions. 

While all general practitioners utilize cardiology on a somewhat regular basis, specialization can allow you to treat cardiology cases all day, every day. If you are drawn to cardiology, this may be an option worth considering.

Watch this video if you need an extra boost while studying for the NAVLE^®!

While your veterinary cardiology courses have likely covered a wide variety of cardiac diseases, both common and uncommon, there is one presentation that you are almost guaranteed to see in your first year as a new grad: a dog in congestive heart failure (CHF).

If you are comfortable with this, you will be able to handle the overwhelming majority of what’s expected of a general practice vet! 

Figuring out acid-base questions doesn’t have to be hard. Learn the basics of acid-base analysis in a few easy steps.