Driving Directions
Find Our Office
Located near:
BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospital
Pet Emergency 24-7
6405-100 Tryon Road
Cary, NC 27518
919-233-4911
info.cary@bluepearlvet.com
NOTE: CVCA office is in a separate building located directly across the main BluePearl hospital building on Tryon Road.
Appointment Scheduling
Make An Appointment
For Patient Families
Scheduling an appointment is easy:
- Sign up for our patient portal and choose your preferred time
- Our staff will call you to confirm your appointment time
- For urgent cases, please call (919)-694-3312
For Primary Care Veterinarians
Referring a patient is easy:
- Complete our referral form
- We will contact the owner to set up a convenient appointment
Meet The Team
CVCA Cary Cardiologists
Drs. Sharpe and Ostenkamp bring a caring approach to patients as our boarded cardiologists serving the greater Raleigh area.
CVCA Cary Technician Team
Our technician team offers our patients and their families expert, caring support before, during and after their visits.
Katie Major
Team Leader
Steph Kistler
RVT
Faith Becraft
Veterinary Assistant
Peyton Smith
Veterinary Assistant
What To Expect
Plan Your Visit
CVCA makes the experience for you and your pet easy and stress-free.
Prior to Appointment
01. Prior to Appointment
- Complete an appointment registration form within a week of the date of your appointment (to ensure we have the most accurate information).
- Most of the time, records can be faxed to us from your primary care veterinarian prior to your appointment.
- Please bring along a list of all medication strengths and dosages or the pill vials. You may follow your normal routine for medications and feeding that day, unless it has been arranged in advance that your pet will need to be sedated for the procedure (very few patients require sedation).
- If your pet has had any X-Rays taken recently, please bring those with you as well, as they cannot be faxed.
Appointment Check-In
02. Appointment Check-In
- CVCA will verify we have a completed appointment registration form on file for your pet.
- For returning clients, CVCA will take a few moments to confirm your contact information.
Physical Exam
03. Physical Exam
- A blood pressure reading may be performed by CVCA staff, depending on the age of your pet and his or her medications.
- The board-certified cardiologist or cardiology resident will perform a focused cardiac examination on your pet. Under most circumstances, owners will stay with their pets during the appointment.
Echocardiogram
04. Echocardiogram
- We will get an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) of your pet. The echocardiogram is not painful and takes about 15-25 minutes in most cases.
- The doctor will explain the echocardiogram as it is being performed and then further discuss the findings after the echo is completed. (Due to our doctor’s expertise and the latest level of technology with our equipment, the echocardiogram gives us valuable information on the location, type, and severity of heart disease.)
- The exam involves your pet lying down on a table, with you present for comfort, and an ultrasound probe is placed on the chest against the heart through a hole in the table.
Pro Tip: Very large dogs or patients with respiratory distress may have the procedure performed standing or sitting if they are more comfortable.
Completion of the Exam
05. Completion of the Exam
- You will be given a printed visit summary with the diagnosis, treatment recommendations and follow up care.
- A full report will be forwarded to your primary care veterinarian the same day.
- After your appointment, we welcome progress reports, questions and concerns at any time.
- We maintain an ongoing relationship with your primary care veterinarian to ensure the best care for your pet.
Pro Tip: Make a 6-month recheck appointment before you leave. This ensures you schedule an appointment that is convenient to you. Our schedules can book far in advance.
FAQ
Get The Facts
Here are a few of the typical questions, with answers, that you may have about your upcoming appointment.
Yes! In fact, we encourage our pets to have their family member with them during the entire appointment including the exam and the echocardiogram. It helps the pet to have their person in the room with them, and you have an opportunity to see and understand more about your pet's cardiac health with the experience. You can talk directly with the cardiologist to answer any questions you have.
A typical appointment is 1 hour for most appointment types. This allows us to get your pet checked in, take a blood pressure reading, examine your pet, and perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).
Yes. You will receive a detailed home care report to take with you.
You will receive a detailed home care report to take with you. It will have all the doctor’s findings and recommendations, in detail. A full report will be faxed over the same day to your primary care veterinarian, along with any other veterinarians who are involved in your pet’s care.
We send them a detailed report and keep them completely in the loop regarding cardiac care -- often the same day of your appointment. CVCA works with our partners in primary care through a co-managed care philosophy: as expert specialists in cardiac care, we provide all the information you and your primary care need on your pet's cardiology care. Your primary care is still the hub of your pet's healthcare and factors in this cardiology information with all the other healthcare your pet receives.
Discuss this with your primary care veterinarian or the CVCA team in advance. They can discuss options to help make the pet less stressed, including sedatives. If your pet typically takes anti-anxiety medication prior to veterinary visits, you may give that medication to your pet before your CVCA visit.
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. It is considered the “Gold Standard” of diagnostics and is how our cardiologist obtains the best information regarding your pet’s heart. It is a painless procedure to your pet and lets you see and understand the pet’s heart function along with the doctor.
Payment Flexibility
Pay Your Way
We offer many options to flexibly pay for our cardiology services, including CareCredit and Scratchpay for qualified applicants – ask a CVCA team member for more information.
Tip: Applying for 2-3x the appointment estimate can defray unexpected costs
Tip: Scratchpay offers an “Interest-free” Take 5 plan – break your bill into 5 easy payments
Informational Video
Experience An Exam
Be Heart-Smart For Your Pet…
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