CVCA Rockville - | CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets

Q: 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).

Q: Will the doctor have a treatment plan for me?

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

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

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Cary contact information

CVCA

Rockville

Business Hours:

Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM ET

Our Location:

1 Taft Court Rockville, MD 20850

Our Phone:

(301) 984-5791

Our Fax:

(301) 770-7461

Our Email:

cvcarockville@cvcavets.com

Schedule an Appointment

Driving Directions

Find Our Office

From Harrisburg and Points North:

Exit PA-581 W/Harrisburg Expressway West onto US 15 South via Exit 5B toward Gettysburg. Stay straight on 15 South as it becomes 270 South. Exit onto 370/Sam Eig Hwy. via Exit 9A toward Metro Station/Gaithersburg. Take the Shady Grove Rd exit toward MD-355 S/Rockville and turn left onto Shady Grove Rd. Take the 2nd right onto MD-355/S Frederick Ave. Continue to follow MD-355 South. Turn left onto Gude Dr. Turn left onto Taft Court. 1 Taft Court is on the left.

From Points South:

From Hagerstown and Points East:

From 70 East, exit onto 270 South via Exit 53 toward Washington. From 270 South, exit onto 370/Sam Eig Highway via Exit 9A, toward Metro Station/Gaithersburg. Take the Shady Grove Rd. exit toward MD 355 S/Rockville and turn left onto Shady Grove Rd. Take the 2nd right onto MD 355/S Frederick Ave. Continue to follow MD 355 South. Turn left onto Gude Dr. Turn left onto Taft Court. 1 Taft Court is on the left.

From 695 West using the Inter County Connector:

Exit 695 onto 95 South via Exit 11B toward Washington. Merge onto MD 200 W/Inter County Connector West via Exit 31 toward US-29/I-270 (Electronic toll collection only). Exit onto MD 97/Georgia Ave. via Exit 8A, toward Wheaton/Olney (Electronic toll collection only). Turn right onto Norbeck Road/MD-28. Turn right onto E. Gude Drive. Turn right onto Taft Court. 1 Taft Court is on the left.

From 695 West with no tolls:

From 695 West, keep left to take Exit 16A onto 70 West toward Frederick. Merge onto US 29 S. Columbia Pike S via Exit 87A on the left toward Columbia/Washington. Take Exit 13 onto MD 216 West toward Fulton. Enter next roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Scaggsville Rd/MD 216. Pass through 2 roundabouts and stay straight to go onto Lime Kiln Rd. Turn left onto Browns Bridge Rd. Brown Bridge Rd. becomes Ednor Rd. Ednor Rd. becomes Layhill Rd/MD-182. Turn right onto MD 28/Norbeck Rd. Turn left onto Gude Dr. Turn left onto Taft Court. 1 Taft Court is on the left.

Located Inside:

BluePearl Veterinary Partners

1 Taft Court
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 984-5791
cvcarockville@cvcavets.com

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 (301) 984-5791

Schedule an Appointment

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 Rockville Cardiologists

Drs. Hickey and Jacob bring a caring approach to patients as our boarded cardiologists serving the Rockville area.

Michael Hickey

DVM, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Read Bio

Kristin Jacob

DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVIM (Cardiology)

Read Bio

CVCA Cardio Pharmacy

Get Your Pet’s Meds

Easily get the medications your veterinary cardiologist prescribed for your pet through the CVCA Pharmacy. Medications can be ordered online and sent directly to your address.

Happy panting Golden retriever dog and blue Maine Coon cat looking at camera

Order Medications

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.

Informational Video

Experience An Exam

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 clients to be with their pets 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?

Will the doctor have a treatment plan for me?

What happens after the appointment?

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?

What is an echocardiogram?

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.

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

Visit Website

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

Visit Website

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.

Driving Directions

Find Our Office

Located Inside:

Appointment Scheduling

Make An Appointment

For Patient Families

For Primary Care Veterinarians

Meet The Team

CVCA Rockville Cardiologists

Michael Hickey

Kristin Jacob

CVCA Cardio Pharmacy

Get Your Pet’s Meds

What To Expect

Plan Your Visit

Prior to Appointment

01. Prior to Appointment

Appointment Check-In

02. Appointment Check-In

Physical Exam

03. Physical Exam

Echocardiogram

04. Echocardiogram

Completion of the Exam

05. Completion of the Exam

Informational Video

Experience An Exam

FAQ

Get The Facts

Can I be with my pet during the cardiac exam?

How long is a typical CVCA appointment?

Will the doctor have a treatment plan for me?

What happens after the appointment?

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

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

What is an echocardiogram?

Payment Flexibility

Pay Your Way

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

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

No prepayment penalty

Apply in 90 seconds with no hard credit check

Testimonials

Hear Their Stories

- Krystyn K.

- Candice

- C. M.

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