Media Inquiries – News

CVCA Media Contact

Keri Youngner, Director of Marketing & Communications

Email: keri.youngner@cvcavets.com


9-16-21 – Vet Specialists – Henry’s Heart Surgery

Henry, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was a gift from Santa one Christmas. The day he made his debut with a big, red bow around his neck, he was immediately a central figure in the family. And who could resist the cuteness of a Cavalier puppy on Christmas?

The family was referred to CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets, where Henry was diagnosed with third-degree or complete atrioventricular (AV) block. The team of Board-certified veterinary cardiologists, Sarah Holdt, VMD, DACVIM (Cardiology), and Neal Peckens, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), recommended immediate surgical intervention to implant a permanent transvenous pacemaker in his heart.

Learn more about Henry’s Story here: Article and Video

11-20-20 – ABC WJLA – Horses, Donkeys get a second chance as Loudoun County shelter works to survive the pandemic

The PAW Fund, a fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, was established by CVCA’s own board-certified veterinary cardiologist, Bill Tyrrell, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), in 2018 in hopes of making a difference in the lives of animals and the people who care for them.

Dr. Tyrrell was interviewed by ABC WJLA for a grant the organization awarded to the Equine Rescue League, a non-profit, in Lovettsville, VA received $2,500. 🐴❤️ “Our hope is that the grant we are making to the equine rescue league will help them through these tough times and propel them into the future, ” Tyrrell said.

Click here to view the interview


11-18-20 – WDVM – CVCA & The PAW Fund give $11,200 to animal welfare!

The PAW Fund, established by CVCA’s own Bill Tyrrell, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), was able to gift a combined $11,200 to Five of Loudoun’s animal welfare organizations this year thanks to the generosity of veterinarians in the area, including CVCA! 

Learn more about the PAW Fund and the wonderful organizations that were helped here. 


11-12-20 – Dr. Sara Bordelon on the TVMA Veterinary Vitals Podcast

CVCA’s Sara Bordelon, DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology) was featured on the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Veterinary Vitals Podcast.

Listen and learn more about Dr. Bordelon, CVCA, and veterinary cardiology in the latest episode.


6-19-20 – Inclusion in ‘Clinical Small Animal Internal Medicine’, edited by David Bruyette

Our very own Steven Rosenthal, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology) has co-written a chapter on the Management of Heart Failure on in the new 2-volume book series, Clinical Small Animal Internal Medicine, edited by David Bruyette.  

Click to View the Book

Listen and learn more about Dr. Meier, CVCA, and veterinary cardiology in the latest episode.


5-26-20 – Dr. Katie Meier on the TVMA Veterinary Vitals Podcast

CVCA’s Katie Meier, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology) was featured on the Texas Veterinary Medical Association Veterinary Vitals Podcast.

Listen and learn more about Dr. Meier, CVCA, and veterinary cardiology in the latest episode.


2-29-20 – Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine – Echocardiographic and Electocardiographic evaluation of North American Irish Wolfhounds

 A great accomplishment–Results of a 14-year study by a group of researchers including CVCA Doctors William Tyrrell, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology) and Steven Rosenthal DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology).

Click to View the Article


12-27-19 – NBCNews.com – ‘It’s not going away’:  Vets still seeing cases of dog heart problems linked to grain-free food. 

Exotic ingredients and boutique brands may also be linked to the health issues.

Click to View the Story 


7-11-19 – Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Honors Bill Tyrrell with Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award


7-16-19  –  WMAR-2 Baltimore – Dog with heart disease showing improvements after switching from grain-free diet.  FDA names 16 pet foods potentially linked to DCM

Click to View the Story


7-3-19  –  KXAN in Austin, TX – Deadly Dog Heart Disease Linked to Grain-Free Dog Food

Click to View the Story 


6-27-19  – FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Click to view the FDA article


4-30-19 – CVCA Opens 2nd Austin Location!

Click to View News Release


3-26-19 – Kentucky Humane Society – Dog diagnosed with PDA

Interview with CVCA board-certified veterinary cardiologist, Sarah Clay Bell, DVM, MS Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Click to View Story


3-19-2019 – WMAR-2 Baltimore – Dog diagnosed with heart disease after being fed grain-free diet

Interview with CVCA board-certified veterinary cardiologist, Steven Rosenthal, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Click to View Story


2-13-19 – CVCA Participating in 3 Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease Studies

Hamlet Study

▪️CVCA participates with other cardiologist colleagues throughout the U.S. and Europe.
▪️Evaluates the utility of certain markers in the bloodstream to determine the patients best suited for medical management.
▪️Hopeful data will help in the diagnosis and management of Mitral Valve Disease.
▪️Learn more about this study: https://hubs.ly/H0gBBWS0

DMVD Study

▪️CVCA will begin working with a major pharmaceutical company to provide blood samples of small, purebred dogs afflicted with varying stages of Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease.
▪️The goal is to find genetic markers that may be prevalent in dogs affected with Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease vs. markers that may be breed specific.
▪️This may lead to genetic testing to help with breeding recommendations to reduce the prevalence of this disease.

VT Look Mitral Study

▪️CVCA collaborating with Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine for this study.
▪️The purpose of the study is to assess the natural history of Mitral Valve Disease in a large referred population of dogs, assess the prevalence and effects of co-morbidities on the history of the disease and to identify risk factors for progression and death.


11-30-18 – Austin, TX – FDA investigating a possible link between grain-free dog food and heart disease.

Click to View Story


11-20-18 – Washington, DC – WUSA9 – Experts worried grain-free dog food could be leading to health problems

Click to View Story


11-9-18 -Washington, DC – NBC4 – How Do You Get a Panda to Do a Check Up? With Honey Water

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets is proud to support the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and its mission to study, care for and save species. Steven Rosenthal, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology), our board-certified veterinary cardiologist and our team provide in-kind support through cardiac echocardiogram services. Yesterday, Dr. Rosenthal performed an echocardiogram on giant panda Tian Tian at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Click to View Story


10-1-18 – Loudoun County, VA – Loudoun Veterinarians Launch Nonprofit Fund For Animals – The PAW Fund

Click to View Article


10-18 – Reader’s Digest – The Food That Could Give Your Dog Heart Disease

Click to View Article


Couple laying in grass with dog

7-24-18 – New York, NY – NY Times – Possible Link Between Grain-Free Dog Food and Heart Disease, F.D.A. Says

Click to View Article


Louisville dog magazine

Louisville, KY – CVCA Featured in Louisville Magazine – September 2017 Issue

Click here for Full Article


Virginia/Maryland dog magazine

CVCA Featured in The Virginia-Maryland-Washington DC Dog Summer 17 Issue

By Gina Pasieka, DVM Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Click here for Full Article


Northern Virginia magazine top vet

Northern Virginia Magazine has named five of our board certified veterinary cardiologists in Northern Virginia for their “Top Veterinarians 2017” list
in their June 2017 issue.

Congratulations to our Doctors for this honor!

Click here for Full Article


Maryland Pet Gazette cover

CVCA Featured in The Maryland Pet Gazette

by Bonnie Lefbom, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Click here for Full Article


Virginia Maryland dog mag cover

CVCA Featured in The Virginia-Maryland-Washington DC Dog Winter 2016/17 Issue

by Bonnie Lefbom, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Click here for Full Article


Virginia Maryland Dog Magazine

CVCA Featured in The Virginia-Maryland-Washington DC Dog Spring 2016 Issue

by Sara Beth Bordelon, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Click Here for Full Article


A clinical research study at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech might help dogs with Mitral Valve Disease, the most common cardiovascular disease in dogs.

They are partnering with Bill Tyrrell, DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology) and a 1992 graduate of the veterinary college, as well as other CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets board certified veterinary cardiologists, to expand the database.

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2016/03/030416-vetmed-mitralvalvedisease.html

@vamdvetmed


National News — “A triad of veterinary care.” Best possible outcome for pet owners, primary care veterinarians, and board-certified veterinary specialists gain a powerful new search tool.

triad-of-care

The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) have together launched VetSpecialists.com as an education and awareness resource for animal owners. The new website is one of the most comprehensive searchable databases of board-certified veterinary specialists worldwide, enabling animal owners to find local specialists for potential consultations, and to bolster the triad of veterinary care to best care for their animals.

The “triad of veterinary care” is the relationship that exists between the animal owner, the primary care veterinarian and the board-certified veterinary specialist, who as a group can best contribute to the health and well being of the animal. This relationship is based upon shared trust, owner education and steady communication for the animal’s best health outcome.

Zachary M. Wright, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology) of Animal Diagnostic Clinic in Dallas, TX, explains, “We are all familiar with the human healthcare best practice of combining the expertise of general medical practitioners with board-certified medical specialists, whether in surgery, cardiology, oncology, neurology or internal medicine. Consumers know where to look online to find their own medical care options. Our goal with VetSpecialists.com is to create that same familiarity so that animal owners know when to talk about an animal’s symptoms and conditions with their primary care veterinarians, and review options for specialty care.”

“Every day, across the country, primary care veterinarians work closely with board-certified veterinary specialists to care for large and small animals,” adds William D. Tyrrell, Jr., DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) of CVCA: Cardiac Care for Pets in Leesburg, Virginia. “VetSpecialists.com connects the lines from the animal owner to the primary care veterinarian to the board-certified veterinary specialist, which we refer to as the triad of veterinary care, so that animal owners can give their animals the best opportunity for healthy lives.”

VetSpecialists.com features useful tools for large and small animal owners, such as:

“Animals obviously cannot verbalize a summary of their medical problems to their veterinarians; animal owners must do that,” notes William D. Liska, DVM, DACVS, of Global Veterinary Specialists in Dallas and San Antonio, TX. “In order to communicate these medical problems, animal owners need access to information and education. VetSpecialists.com provides the tools to help animal owners understand health issues if they arise, and communicate them to their primary care veterinarians, who together can consider whether a specialist should be consulted.”

The network of board-certified veterinary specialists available on VetSpecialists.com shows the high level of training and expertise available to support the animal’s needs, along with information about the board-certified veterinary specialists’ unique equipment, facilities and staff who are available to manage complex animal health care.

Andrea Putt, DVM and Owner of Commerce Village Veterinary Hospital in Commerce Township, MI, recognizes the benefits the triad of veterinary care adds to her practice. “As a general practitioner,” Putt describes, “I value and appreciate having veterinary care specialists in the community that I can consult with and refer patients. Sometimes our patients need specialist care for further diagnostics and treatment options that we simply cannot offer in a general practice. Working together as a team between the general veterinary practitioners, board-certified veterinary specialists and pet owners will ensure that pets are getting the highest quality of veterinary care for the highest quality of life.”

Several board-certified veterinary specialists around the country, with varying specialties, are available to discuss the features of VetSpecialists.com along with case studies that exemplify the success of the triad of veterinary care.

http://www.vetspecialists.com/


virginia maryland dog summer 2015

CVCA featured in The Virginia Maryland Dog Summer 2015 Issue. The Toughest Question: Could More Have Been Done for My Pet? by Dr. William Tyrrell

Click Here for Full Article


virginia dog winter 2014

CVCA and “Annie’s Story” featured in The Virginia Maryland Dog Winter/Holiday 2014 Issue

Click Here for Full Article


pet post may 2014

CVCA Featured in The Pet Post May 2014 Issue

Click Here for Full Article


virginia maryland dog summer 2014

CVCA Featured in The Virginia Maryland Dog Summer 2014 Issue

Click Here for Full Article


heart health for pets

CVCA Featured in April/May Issue of Petz Luv Magazine

Click Here for Full Article


News Channel 8’s The Pet Show with Dr. Katy Nelson interviews CVCA – Cardiac Care for Pets Veterinarian Dr. Bonnie Lefbom about cardiac defects in dogs and cats, the diagnosis procedure and what can be done.


CVCA Teaming Up with the Hope Advanced Veterinary Center in Rockville, MD

Hope Advanced Veterinary Center, a leader in emergency and specialty veterinary medicine in the Washington, DC area is proud to announce the groundbreaking of a brand new veterinary specialty hospital in Rockville, MD.

CVCA – Cardiac Care for Pets is joining Hope Advanced Veterinary Center along with Bush Veterinary Neurology Service and Bush Advanced Veterinary Imaging, with board-certified veterinary surgeons, internists, cardiologists and neurologists to diagnose and treat advanced conditions in dogs and cats.

Located at 1 Taft Court, just off of East Gude Drive, Hope Advanced Veterinary Center will contain more than 32,000 square feet of veterinary medical space including on-site MRI, laboratory and 24/7 emergency center. Renovations of the building will help to revitalize a historic area of Rockville.  The hospital will open in early 2014 in the thriving City of Rockville, recently named one of the top 10 places for young families in Maryland by NerdWallet.

CVCA – Cardiac Care for Pets, www.cvcavets.com

Hope Advanced Veterinary Specialty, www.hopecenter.com

Bush Veterinary Neurology Services (BVNS), www.BVNS.net

Bush Advanced Veteinary Imaging (BAVI), www.bushvetimaging.com


CVCA’s Feline Atenolol Study for Survival Benefits of Treatment

CVCA, the largest Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist group in the country with twelve locations: Annapolis, MD; Frederick, MD; Gaithersburg, MD; Rockville, MD; Leesburg, VA; Richmond, VA; Springfield, ,A; Vienna, VA and Louisville, KY is conducting a new Feline Patient Atenolol study.

CVCA is actively enrolling feline patients, with newly diagnosed hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, in a study designed to substantiate our belief that treatment with the beta-blocker atenolol benefits this subset of patients.

For any feline patients that fulfill the inclusion criteria, we will be obtaining baseline levels of NT-proBNP and cardiac troponin I and assessing that effect of the administration of atenolol on the level of these important indices of myocardial stress and cell death over 6 months.

Our working hypothesis is that these cardiac biomarkers will improve with the administration of atenolol and further validate its use in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. The biomarkers are important prognosticators in both human and veterinary cardiology. If the hypothesis is validated, it will provide a platform for more in-depth analysis of the survival benefits of treatment.

For more information, contact info@cvcavets.com.


CVCA’s own Dr. Bonnie Lefbom, DVM, Diplomate AVM (Cardiology) interviewed during
“Be Kind to Animals Week” at the CVCA Vienna office located in The Hope Center by Fox5 in Washington, DC.