CVCA

What CVCA does

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets, founded in 1987 in Annapolis as Chesapeake Veterinary Cardiology Care, is the largest veterinary cardiology practice in the United States. It provides specialized cardiac diagnostics and treatment for dogs and cats, including echocardiography, electrocardiography, blood pressure measurement, and consultations, delivered by more than 50 board-certified veterinary cardiologists across 27 clinic locations coast-to-coast in at least 10 states. The practice generated 31,000+ patient visits per year with reported client recommendation rates above 99%, and operates an ACVIM-accredited 3-year residency program that supplies its own pipeline of board-certified talent.

The business runs a referral-based, sales-led go-to-market model: primary care veterinarians refer cardiac cases to CVCA specialists, who deliver initial workups, provide immediate diagnoses, and co-manage ongoing treatment with the referring vet. Many CVCA clinics are co-located inside partner veterinary emergency and specialty hospitals (VCA SouthPaws, The LifeCentre, Hope Advanced, Regional Veterinary Referral Center, Partner Veterinary), embedding cardiology services into the primary referral ecosystem. Revenue is generated through professional services fees per consultation, with pricing not publicly disclosed; payment options include CareCredit 6-month deferred interest plans, all major credit cards, checks, and cash.

CVCA's product portfolio extends beyond clinical services to include the CVCA Cardio Pharmacy (online medication delivery for prescribed cardiac drugs), printable client handouts for pet owners, clinical studies and publications for veterinarians, and the residency training program. Legal entity is CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets, LLC; no parent company, private equity, or venture capital backing has been disclosed. The current CEO is Katie Brooks.

Name

CVCA

Legal name

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets, LLC

Website

https://cvcavets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets is the largest US veterinary cardiology practice, providing cardiac diagnostics, consultations, and treatment for dogs and cats through 50+ board-certified cardiologists across 27 coast-to-coast clinic locations, serving pet owners and referring veterinarians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterinary Cardiology Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Veterinary Services (541940)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Cardiology & Respiratory Specialty Centers (HLAMACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics & Hospitals (AFAEANAA)

Keywords

• Veterinary cardiology services
• Pet cardiac diagnostics
• Veterinary specialty practice
• Echocardiography services
• Board-certified cardiologists

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Veterinary Specialty Services: Revenue from providing veterinary cardiology consultations, diagnostics, and treatment services to pet owners and referring veterinarians. Services include initial consultations (blood pressure, echocardiogram), follow-up appointments, and ongoing cardiac care management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets is the largest veterinary cardiology specialty practice in the United States, providing board-certified cardiology consultations and diagnostics (echocardiography, blood pressure measurement, electrocardiography/ECG) for dogs and cats. The practice operates across 27 coast-to-coast locations, co-managing cardiac cases with referring primary care veterinarians under a referral-based care model. Supplementary offerings include an online cardiac medication pharmacy and downloadable client education handouts.

Product overview

CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets is a veterinary cardiology practice offering a unified service model centered on board-certified veterinary cardiologists who provide cardiac care for small animals. The portfolio includes core cardiology consultations and diagnostics, a client education component (Client Handouts covering cardiac conditions), an online pharmacy (CVCA Cardio Pharmacy) for dispensing prescribed medications, and a 3-Year Cardiology Residency Program for training future specialists. The practice operates from 27 locations across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Veterinary Cardiology Consultations and Diagnostics Comprehensive veterinary cardiology services for small animals (dogs and cats) delivered by board-certified veterinary cardiologists across 27 coast-to-coast US locations, including echocardiography, blood pressure measurement, electrocardiography (ECG), initial consultations, follow-up appointments, and ongoing cardiac case management under a co-management model with referring primary care veterinarians.
• CVCA Cardio Pharmacy Online pharmacy service allowing pet owners to order prescribed cardiac medications for direct delivery to their address, supporting ongoing cardiac treatment plans prescribed by CVCA cardiologists.
• Printable Client Handouts Printable educational materials for pet owners covering cardiac conditions, diseases, and treatment information for dogs and cats, available for immediate digital download or bulk ordering through the supply request form.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31,000+ patients treated per year, more than any other board certified veterinary cardiology practice worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency CentercoreOthersCVCA Fairfax location operates inside VCA SouthPaws facility, providing integrated specialty cardiology services within a comprehensive veterinary emergency and specialty hospital setting.
• Hope Advanced Veterinary CentercoreOthersCVCA Vienna location operates inside Hope Advanced Veterinary Center, providing integrated specialty cardiology services within the hospital.
• The LifeCentrecoreOthersCVCA Leesburg location operates inside The LifeCentre, providing 24/7/365 emergency services in partnership with the host facility.
• The Regional Veterinary Referral CentercoreOthersCVCA Springfield location operates inside The Regional Veterinary Referral Center, providing integrated specialty cardiology services.
• Partner Veterinary Emergency and Specialty CentercoreOthersCVCA Richmond location operates inside Partner Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center, providing integrated specialty cardiology services.
• CareCreditminorOthersCareCredit provides 6-month deferred interest payment plans for pet owners to finance veterinary cardiology services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BluePearl Pet Hospital: One of the largest US veterinary specialty and emergency hospital chains (owned by Mars). Offers multi-specialty services including cardiology, emergency, oncology, and surgery. Directly relevant as a competitor for specialty referral share and as a partner for CVCA's co-location strategy.
• National Veterinary Associates (NVA): Large veterinary practice ownership platform with both general practice and specialty/emergency hospitals. Relevant as a potential acquirer of CVCA or as a competing specialty platform, and as a host-facility counterpart for co-located CVCA sites.
• VCA Animal Hospitals: Mars-owned veterinary hospital chain with general practice and specialty/emergency services. Both a host facility (e.g., VCA SouthPaws hosts CVCA Fairfax) and a potential competitor if it expands in-house cardiology, making it a strategic counterparty on both sides.
• MedVet: Large multi-specialty veterinary hospital network across the US with specialty services including cardiology, internal medicine, oncology, and surgery. Comparable to CVCA as a specialty referral destination; relevant competitive overlap in shared geographies.

Others

• American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM): Specialty certifying body that accredits veterinary cardiology residency programs and board exams. Relevant as the credentialing gatekeeper for CVCA's competitive advantage — ACVIM Cardiology diplomate status is the foundational qualification behind CVCA's specialist moat and residency program.
• CareCredit (Synchrony): Healthcare financing product used by CVCA to offer deferred-interest payment plans for pet owners. Relevant as a strategic financing partner — channel-level enabler rather than a clinical competitor, with material impact on patient affordability and conversion.

Direct peers

• Guardian Veterinary Specialists: Independent multi-specialty veterinary hospital in the Northeast offering cardiology, internal medicine, surgery, oncology, dermatology, and emergency. Comparable specialty referral competitor with similar co-management-style relationships with referring general practices.
• SAGE Veterinary Centers: Multi-location veterinary specialty and emergency hospital group in the Western US offering cardiology along with internal medicine, surgery, oncology, and emergency. Directly comparable to CVCA as a specialty referral network with overlapping service lines and referral-driven GTM.
• Petcardia (or comparable regional vet cardiology group): Specialty veterinary cardiology practice offering echocardiography and consultative cardiology services. Most directly comparable as a pure-play cardiology referral specialist competing for the same referring-veterinarian channel and patient population.
• University Veterinary Teaching Hospitals (e.g., UC Davis, Cornell, Penn Vet): Academic veterinary medical centers offering board-certified cardiology services, residencies, and clinical research. Overlap with CVCA on training pipeline (ACVIM residency) and as alternative referral destinations for complex cardiac cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cvcavets
• Facebookfacebook.com/CVCAVETS

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CVCA