Our hospital performs electrocardiograms as part of our routine anesthetic monitoring for patients undergoing surgical and dental procedures. An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a readout of the electrical activity of the heart muscle. We also routinely perform ECG’s as part of a cardiac evaluation for patients suspected to have heart disease. If your veterinarian hears a heart rhythm abnormality (called an arrhythmia) in your pet's heartbeat, they will recommend an ECG to further evaluate. Several clips (called leads) are placed onto your pet's skin at various body points to accurately record the information your veterinarian requires to generate the ECG reading. Although the ECG procedure requires that your pet hold very still for a few minutes to obtain the electrical data, it generally does not require sedation. The ECG reading allows your veterinarian to determine possible causes and appropriate treatment for the arrhythmia.
