Sea Otters, Orangutans, Gorillas and Other Animals Receive Regular Heart Screenings
Did you know the heart of a spider monkey or gorilla is the same as a human’s, but just a different size? Ochsner Cardiologists are helping keep the Audubon Zoo and Aquarium of the America’s animals heart-healthy with their specialized training by providing regular heart exams, known as echocardiograms. Ochsner Dr. Hans Mulder and Dr. Richard Milani have performed echocardiograms, or echo’s, on Audubon’s gorillas, a spider monkey, sea otters, orangutans, and a lion, and provide ongoing care and exams as needed while collaborating with the Zoo’s veterinary doctors and staff.
“As a Pediatric or Adult Cardiologist, we go through extensive training for diagnosis and treatment of just about any condition that affects the human heart, but there are also, surprisingly, many similarities to the structure of animal hearts as well,” explains Dr. Hans Mulder, Pediatric Cardiologist and Head of Pediatric Cardiac Imaging at Ochsner Medical Center. “And, monkeys, for example, have a higher risk for heart conditions, including cardiomyopathy, so they need regular screenings.” Mulder explains that cardiomyopathy is a condition disease in which the heart muscle thickens abnormally and can interfere with the heart's electrical system, increasing the risk for life-threatening abnormal heartbeats and sudden death.
An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to examine the heart. It provides single-dimension images, known as M-mode, that allow accurate measurement of the heart's chambers, and two-dimensional images that display a cross-sectional "slice" of the beating heart, including the chambers, valves and the major blood vessels that exit from the left and right ventricle. Color Doppler imaging can be used to evaluate the blood flow patterns across the valves and through the individual chambers and major blood vessels.
“We’re pleased to be collaborating with the Cardiologists at Ochsner to help keep our animals healthy with regular heart screenings to pre-empt and/or treat any problems that may come up or already need monitoring,” says Ron Forman, President and CEO of Audubon Nature Institute.
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