Table of Contents

List of Contributors vii

Preface ix

Acknowledgements xi

About the Companion Website xiii

1 Anatomy of the Conduction System 1
Pedro Oliveira

2 Cardiac Electrophysiology 9
Antonia Mavropoulou

3 Cardiac Vectors and the Genesis of the Electrocardiogram 21
Pedro Oliveira

4 Electrocardiography 35
Ruth Willis

5 Sinus Rhythms 57
Ruth Willis

6 Pathogenesis and Classification of Arrhythmias 67
Antonia Mavropoulou

7 Bradyarrhythmias and Conduction Disturbances 79
Ruth Willis

8 Atrial Rhythms 109
Pedro Oliveira

9 Atrial Fibrillation 127
Ruth Willis

10 Junctional Rhythms 147
Pedro Oliveira

11 Ventricular Rhythms 169
Antonia Mavropoulou

12 Clinical Approach to Arrhythmias and Intermittent Collapse 189
Ruth Willis

13 Diagnostic Approach to Narrow‐QRS Complex Tachycardia 201
Antonia Mavropoulou

14 Diagnostic Approach to Wide‐QRS Complex Tachycardia 211
Antonia Mavropoulou

15 Ambulatory Electrocardiographic Recordings 219
Ruth Willis

16 Heart Rate Variability 231
Domingo Casamian‐Sorrosal

17 Anti‐arrhythmic Drugs 241
Joel Freitas da Silva

18 Pacemaker Therapy 255
Simon Swift

19 Electrophysiology Studies and Catheter Ablation 271
Pedro Oliveira and Martin Lowe

20 Arrhythmias in Canine Cardiomyopathies and Valvular Heart Disease 285
Gerhard Wess and Marin Torti

21 Arrhythmias in Feline Cardiomyopathies 301
Erin L. Anderson

22 Inherited Ventricular Arrhythmias in German Shepherd Dogs 315
Thibault Ribas and Romain Pariaut

23 Systemic Disease and Arrhythmias, Including Selected Non‐cardiogenic Causes of Collapse 319
Jon Wray

24 Cardiac Arrhythmias and Anaesthesia 337
Frances Downing and Louise Clark

Appendix 1 Normal ECG Measurements for Cats and Dogs 349

Appendix 2 Arrhythmias – A Brief Review 351

Appendix 3 Mean Electrical Axis 381

Appendix 4 Anti‐Arrhythmic Drugs and Dosages 387

Appendix 5 Sample ECG Reports 389

Self-assessment 393

Index 425

About the Author

Ruth Willis, BVM&S, DVC, MRCVS, is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology at Holter Monitoring Service, Dick White Referrals, Newmarket UK; and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, UK.

Pedro Oliveira, DVM, Diplomate ECVIM-CA (Cardiology), MRCVS, is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology at Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, UK, where he has established an electrophysiology laboratory for the invasive diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

Antonia Mavropoulou, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ECVIM-CA (Cardiology), MRCVS, is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology at Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, UK.