Syncope is the sudden temporary loss of consciousness that is associated with loss of postural tone as a result of an abrupt decrease in cerebral perfusion or decreased delivery of essential nutrients (i.e. glucose) to the brain.

Differentiating between congestive heart failure and respiratory disease as the cause of acute dyspnea in dogs and cats is one of the most difficult case scenarios facing veterinary clinicians.

In veterinary medicine pharmacologic treatment to control or convert arrhythmias is the most common method employed.

Congenital heart diseases are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric veterinary patients. The incidence of such defects is listed below.

Early descriptions of heart failure focused on the syndrome of congestion, an excess of the wet or melancholic humors, "dropsy," or "backward" failure.

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a record of the average electrical potential generated in the heart muscle at the body's surface.