The ACVIM Foundation, in partnership with the CARE Foundation and Prelude Dynamics, is pleased to announce the launch of the ACVIM Registry of Cardiac Health (ARCH). This registry will offer reliable certification to breeders and pet owners that their animals are free of congenital and adult onset heart disease, and exams are conducted solely by Board-certified veterinary cardiologists.

“ARCH is unique in that it involves screening examinations by Board-certified cardiologists for both acquired and congenital heart diseases in dogs and cats,” says Dr. Mark Oyama, DACVIM (Cardiology) and current President of the Specialty of Cardiology. ARCH is also user friendly, has a searchable database (owners must give permission for each viewable certificate), and certificates are available online. Dr. Oyama elaborates, “ARCH utilizes a state-of-the-art web-based system that greatly simplifies the certification of pets and features complete confidentiality of test results.”

This “gold standard” of cardiac certification has the potential to impact the long term health of companion animals by allowing breeders to screen for disease and by gathering data about both congenital and adult onset heart disease in animals, which may lead to improved treatment and care in the future. According to Dr. Oyama, “ARCH will provide important information for cardiology researchers investigating the prevalence of heart disease in different breeds of dogs and cats. In this way ARCH not only serves the individual pet and pet owner, but also contributes to the greater health of the breed and dogs and cats in general.”

Dr. Joseph Taboada, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine) and President of the ACVIM Foundation Board of Directors concurs, “ARCH has the tremendous potential to both have a positive impact on patient care as well as on the development of a base of data that will be able to answer questions about the impact of different types of cardiac disease on animal health. This registry is special in that it partners the expertise of ACVIM Boardcertified cardiologists across the country and around the world with concerned owners, breeders, and general veterinary practitioners to bring a powerful tool to answering these important questions. The ACVIM Foundation is proud to be able to foster such a partnership and participate in the future growth of the registry.”

Proceeds from ARCH will support the ACVIM Foundation Grant Program and will be designated for cardiac health studies.

• For more information on the ACVIM Foundation, visit www.ACVIMFoundation.org. 
• For more information on the CARE Foundation, visit www.careanimalfoundation.org. 
• For more information on Prelude Dynamics, visit: www.PreludeDynamics.com.