Reply To: Vertebral Heart Scores

Hi Gail,
In my opinion radiographs in the acute setting of an animal presenting with dyspnoea should not be the first diagnostic test performed. I’d always do a TFAST over a radiograph in this setting. I wouldn’t say that assessing the VHS is necessary in most cases but perhaps they are thinking that in a case where you aren’t sure from ultrasound and you then radiograph it that knowing how to perform a VHS is a skill that is good to have. If the VHS is normal, heart failure is very unlikely, if the VHS is increased then heart failure is possible but by no means definite!

Not sure if the ECC guys have anything to add on this.

Liz