Heart Disease Resources: Basics | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Dogs | Cats | Treatments | Medications | Nutrition | Forms
HeartSmart is intended to help the owners of dogs and cats with heart disease. The site aims to provide information on the common heart diseases in dogs and cats, tests that are commonly done to help diagnose heart disease, drugs commonly used to treat heart disease, and possible outcomes for affected pets.
HeartSmart is created by the board-certified veterinary cardiologists and veterinary nutritionists at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. It strives to be a source of science-based information about heart disease in pets.
We hope you find HeartSmart a helpful resource. If you have specific areas of interest, please use our Heart Disease A-Z.
We are committed to helping you and your veterinarian care for your loved pet.
A veterinary cardiologist is a veterinarian with 3 years of advanced education and training in treating pets with heart disease. Veterinary cardiologists become board certified after finishing training and passing a rigorous examination given by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM)
A veterinary cardiologist will usually be referred to as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in the Specialty of Cardiology, or Diplomate ACVIM (Cardiology).
If you are in the New England area, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University has a renowned cardiology department. It is home to a team of board-certified veterinary cardiologists, residents, interns, students, and technicians.
Learn more about the Cardiology Service and make an appointment.
Many other options for veterinary cardiologists can be found using the Find a Veterinary Specialist website.
Dr. John Rush is a diplomate and prior president of the ACVIM (Cardiology) specialty, as well as a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC). He attended veterinary school at The Ohio State University and has taught veterinary students at Tufts University for over 30 years. He is active in cardiology research and loves teaching. See Dr. Rush's recent publications here.
Dr. Lisa Freeman has 3 degrees from Tufts University (B.S., D.V.M., and Ph.D. in nutrition). She is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition). She is a world-renowned expert in nutrition and heart disease. She is a faculty member in the Cardiology Section. See additional information on the Nutrition Service here. See Dr. Freeman's recent publications here.
Dr. Emily Karlin is a graduate of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She completed her veterinary cardiology residency at Cummings School and is a diplomate of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine ACVIM (Cardiology). She loves teaching and practicing clinical veterinary cardiology.
The Barkley Fund makes the HeartSmart website possible. This fund supports the advancement of veterinary cardiology and veterinary emergency and critical care medicine through research, collaboration, and training.
The Barkley Fund was established to celebrate a special Great Dane and to honor all those who are devoted to dogs and cats. Barkley suffered from a heart disorder that is almost always fatal. Cummings veterinarians devised an innovative program of medication and diet that helped Barkley live a full, high-quality life.
Barkley's owners established the Barkley Fund to foster ongoing innovation in cardiology and emergency/critical care medicine. The fund provides resources for activities that promote scientific inquiry, collaboration, and training.
In addition to supporting the development of the HeartSmart website, the Barkley Fund has enabled many important studies that have contributed to our knowledge of veterinary cardiology and nutrition at the Cummings School, such as:
In the last three years, Dr. Freeman has received research funding from the AKC Canine Health Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, and Nestlé Purina PetCare; has received consultant honoraria from Elanco and Guiding Stars Licensing Co LLC; and received residency program funding from P&G Petcare (now Mars).
In the last three years, Dr. Rush has received research funding from the AKC Canine Health Foundation, Morris Animal Foundation, Nestlé Purina PetCare, and ACVECC; travel support or attended sponsored seminars from Boehringer Ingelheim and CEVA Animal Health; delivered remunerated continuing education lectures for Veterinary Professional Development; and received residency program funding from MedVet.
Last updated 1/10/2025