CVCA West Palm Beach

Open now, same-week appointments available!

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CVCA
West Palm Beach
Business Hours:
Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM ET
Our Location:
3884 Forest Hill Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Our Phone:
(561) 448-1726
Our Fax:
(561)-223-6258
Our Email:
cvcawpb@cvcavets.com
Schedule An Appointment
Driving Directions

Find Our Office

Located Inside:

VCA Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists

3884 Forest Hill Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL 33406

To contact the VCA Palm Beach ER in an emergency, please call (561) 434-5700

Appointment Scheduling

Make An Appointment

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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 (561) 448-1726
Schedule an Appointment
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For Primary Care Veterinarians

Referring a patient is easy:

  • Complete our referral form
  • We will contact the owner to set up a convenient appointment
Make a Referral

Meet The Team

CVCA West Palm Beach Cardiologists

Dr. Rivera brings a caring approach to patients as our boarded cardiologist serving the West Palm Beach area.

Paolo Rivera

Paulo Rivera

DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Read Bio
CVCA West Palm Beach Technician Team

Our technician team offers our patients and their families expert, caring support before, during and after their visits.

Niki

Niki

Veterinary Assistant

Mary

Mary

Veterinary Assistant

Haley

Haley

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.
Young woman walking into clinic for her dog's appointment

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.
Niki checking in patient before their appointment

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.
Nikki looking at scale as she takes the weight of the patient while their owner holds the leash

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.
Dr.Paulo working with vet technicians and pet owner, pointing at screen of echocardiogram

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.
Dr.Paulo greeting pet owner and pet in entrance of clinic

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.

Informational Video

Experience An Exam

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FAQ

Get The Facts

Here are a few of the typical questions, with answers, that you may have about your upcoming appointment.

Can I be with my pet during the cardiac exam?

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.

How long is a typical CVCA appointment?

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).

Will the doctor have a treatment plan for me?

Yes. You will receive a detailed home care report to take with you.

What happens after the appointment?

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.

How does my primary care veterinarian know what is going on with my pet's cardiac 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. 

My pet really doesn’t like visiting a doctor. What can be done to reduce their anxiety?

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.

What is an echocardiogram?

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.

Icons representing cash, credit card, and checks

We accept cash, personal checks, and all major credit cards

6-month deferred interest on credit cards

6-month deferred interest available on credit card transactions

24 months at a set interest rate for surgeries

Apply online at carecredit.com prior to appointment

Tip: Applying for 2-3x the appointment estimate can defray unexpected costs

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12- and 24-month repayment with a variable interest rate

No prepayment penalty

Apply in 90 seconds with no hard credit check

Tip: Scratchpay offers an “Interest-free” Take 5 plan – break your bill into 5 easy payments

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Testimonials

Hear Their Stories

My cat has congestive heart failure, and I can't thank the staff at CVCA enough for their ongoing clear communication, responsiveness to any questions I have, great bedside manner, and expertise. Their consistent support is so very much appreciated.

- Krystyn K.

I just cannot say enough good things about the entire CVCA experience. Every single aspect of the appointment was perfect. The doctor was so compassionate and loving to our big boy. He made sure he was thorough, very focused, detail-oriented, and made sure we understood completely my pet’s care plan and next steps. We walked away feeling 100% better than when we came in for our appointment. I would highly recommend CVCA to anyone.

- Candice

Like many people nowadays, our pets mean more to us than ever. Our Great Dane had a couple of severe health concerns come up by the time he was 8 months old, one of them being a cardiac condition. Reassurance that he would be well cared for no matter what his cardiac exam results were took a lot of the weight off my shoulders. The educational conversations I had with the cardiologist were concise and helped me understand what was going on with him so I could provide better care at home. He is now 2 years old and thriving! If you are looking for cardiac care for your giant breed dog I would highly recommend CVCA because having a provider willing to level with you and explain diagnoses, causes, and treatment plans with patience in layman's terms is priceless.

- C. M.

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