Misused cardiac drugs raise risks, while AI tools may expand access to heart screening

10/02/2026

At the TuVECCA Congress in Turkiye, cardiology speaker Laurent Locquet warned that one of the most frequent problems in small-animal cardiology is starting medication without a confirmed diagnosis—a practice that can lead to inappropriate treatment decisions in both dogs and cats.

In dogs, he pointed to the common use of diuretics in coughing patients, calling it a major misconception. Locquet stressed that many clinicians and owners incorrectly associate coughing with congestive heart failure, even though in most cases that link is not accurate—particularly when coughing is not accompanied by dyspnea and tachypnea. His message: diuretics should be used cautiously and only when congestive heart failure is confirmed.

In cats, he highlighted the potentially dangerous use of clopidogrel or rivaroxaban when the left atrium is not enlarged, suggesting that anticoagulant or antiplatelet choices must be driven by appropriate clinical findings rather than routine habit.

He also underlined why blood pressure monitoring and accurate measurement matter in everyday practice. Both low and high blood pressure can harm the body, he said, noting that increased blood pressure in cats can contribute to thickening of the heart muscle, while in dogs it can worsen mitral valve regurgitation. Beyond the heart, he emphasized the impact on organs such as the eyes, kidneys, and brain.

On whether cardiac disease is increasing, Locquet suggested that the apparent trend may reflect improved detection and earlier diagnosis, especially as new tools—such as AI—enter veterinary medicine. He noted that TuVECCA’s next edition will focus on AI, aligning with his own interest and development work.

Locquet said his team launched an AI-based product a few months ago that analyzes recordings taken via smartphones to support detection of heart murmurs, heart rate, heart rate variability, and the possible presence of an arrhythmia. In the workflow he described, a report is generated, then fact-checked by a boarded veterinary cardiology specialist, and shared with the vet and owner—typically within 24 hours. He positioned this as a practical option when owners cannot access or afford 24-hour Holter monitoring, which he still described as the gold standard “for a while.”

Closing his congress impressions, Locquet praised TuVECCA’s hospitality, audience warmth, and organization—adding that he sees AI as a complementary tool that can reshape screening, diagnosis, monitoring, consultations, and patient communication, while not fully replacing clinical experience and operator-dependent skills.

You can watch the full exclusive interview on our official YouTube channel.