Professor Virginia Luis Fuentes

MA VetMB PhD CertVR DVC MRCVS DipACVIM DipECVIM
Professor of Veterinary Cardiology

Department: Clinical Science and Services

Campus: Hawkshead

Research Groups: Cardiovascular and Renal Biology, CPCS (Research Programme)

Clinical Groups: Small Animal Cardiology

Virginia is Head of the Cardiology Service, and is an American and European specialist in Cardiology. She splits her time between clinics in the Queen Mother Hospital, teaching and research.

Virginia graduated from Cambridge Veterinary School in 1984. She spent five years in practice (obtaining RCVS Certificates in Radiology and Small Animal Cardiology) before becoming a Lecturer in Veterinary Cardiology at the University of Edinburgh (obtaining the RCVS Diploma in Veterinary Cardiology in 1992). She was awarded the PDSA Scholarship between 1992-1995 towards a PhD in the echocardiographic assessment of canine dilated cardiomyopathy, and gained RCVS Specialist status in Veterinary Cardiology in 1994.

Virginia moved to the University of Missouri, Columbia as an Assistant Professor in 1997, and then in 2001 became a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine until joining the Royal Veterinary College in 2004. She was awarded the British Small Animal Veterinary Association Woodrow award for outstanding contributions in the field of small animal veterinary medicine in 2006, and was Chair of the Cardiology Specialty of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine from 2012-2018.

Virginia’s interests are in feline and canine myocardial disease, and cardiac imaging. Her current projects are investigating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats.

  1. Novo Matos J, Garcia-Canadilla P, Simcock IC, Hutchinson JC, Dobromylskyj, Guy A, Arthurs OJ, Cook AC, Luis Fuentes V.
    Micro-computed tomography for the assessment of myocardial disarray, fibrosis and ventricular mass in a feline model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  Scientific Reports (10): 20169 (2020)

  2. P Fox; B Keene; K Lamb; K Schober; V Chetboul; V Luis Fuentes; et al. International Collaborative Study to Assess Cardiovascular Risk and Evaluate Long-term health (REVEAL) in Cats with Pre-clinical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Apparently Healthy Cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 32:930-943 (2018)
  3. I Spalla, JR Payne, K Borgeat, V Luis Fuentes, DJ Connolly. Prognostic value of mitral annular systolic plane excursion and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology. 20:154-164 (2018)
  4. G McAulay, K Borgeat, J Sargent, P Motskula, J Neves, J Dukes-McEwan, V Luis Fuentes. Phenotypic description of cardiac findings in a population of Dogue de Bordeaux with an emphasis on atrial fibrillation. Veterinary Journal 234:111-118 (2018)
  5. G McAulay, K. Borgeat, and V Luis Fuentes. An online health survey of Dogue de Bordeaux owners and breeders with special emphasis on cardiac disease. Veterinary Journal 232:78-82 (2018)
  6. J. Novo Matos, N. Pereira, T. Glaus, L. Wilkie, K. Borgeat, J. Loureiro, J. Silva, V. Law, A. Kranjc, D.J. Connolly, V. Luis Fuentes.. Transient myocardial thickening in cats associated with heart failure. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 32:48-56 (2017)
  7. P Bristow, J Sargent, V Luis Fuentes, D Brockman. Surgical treatment of pulmonic stenosis in dogs under cardiopulmonary bypass: outcome in 9 dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice. 59:38-44 (2018)
  8. AS Vischer, DJ Connolly, CJ Coats, V Luis Fuentes, WJ McKenna, S Castelletti, AA Pantazis. Arrhythogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in Boxer dogs: the diagnosis as a link to the human disease. Acta Myologica 36:135-150 (2017)
  9. C Lawson, D Kovacs, E Finding, E Ulfelder, V Luis-Fuentes. Extracellular vesicles: evolutionarily conserved mediators of intercellular communication. Yale J Biol Med 90(3):481-491(2017)
  10. RL Stepien, HB Kellihan, V Luis-Fuentes. Prevalence and diagnostic characteristics of non-clinical mitral regurgitation murmurs in North American Whippets. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 19:317-324 (2017)
  11. V Luis Fuentes, LJ Wilkie. Asymptomatic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: diagnosis and therapy. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 47:1041-1054 (2017)
  12. I Spalla, J Payne, K Borgeat, A Pope, V Luis Fuentes, DJ Connolly. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 31:691-699 (2017)
  13. P Bristow, J Sargent, V Luis Fuentes, D Brockman. Outcome of bioprosthetic valve replacement in dogs with tricuspid valve dysplasia. Journal of Small Animal Practice 58:205-210 (2017)
  14. JR Payne, DC Brodbelt, V Luis Fuentes. Blood pressure measurements in 780 apparently healthy cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 31:15-21 (2017)
  15. V Luis Fuentes. Heart disease: time to take cats seriously. (Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 17(Suppl 1): S2-5 (2015)
  16. LJ Wilkie, K Smith, V Luis Fuentes. Cardiac pathology findings in 252 cats presented for necropsy; a comparison of cats with unexpected death versus other deaths. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology, 17(Suppl 1): S329-340 (2015)
  17. JR Payne, K Borgeat, DC Brodbelt, DJ Connolly, V Luis Fuentes. Risk factors associated with sudden death versus congestive heart failure or arterial thromboembolism in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology, 17(Suppl 1): S318-328 (2015)
  18. JR Payne, DC Brodbelt, V Luis Fuentes. Cardiomyopathy prevalence in 780 apparently healthy cats in rehoming centers (the CatScan study). Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 17(Suppl 1): S244-257 (2015)
  19. J Haggstrom, V Luis Fuentes, G Wess. Screening for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in cats. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 17(Suppl 1): S134-149 (2015)
  20. K Borgeat, J Stern, KM Meurs, V Luis Fuentes, DJ Connolly. The influence of clinical and genetic factors on left ventricular wall thickness in Ragdoll cats. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 17(Suppl 1): S258-267 (2015)
  21. K Borgeat, DJ Connolly, V Luis Fuentes. Cardiac biomarkers in cats. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 17(Suppl 1) S74-S86 (2015)
  22. E Côté, NJ Edwards, SJ Ettinger, VL Fuentes, KA MacDonald, BA Scansen, DD Sisson, JA Abbott. Incidentally detected murmurs in dogs and cats: executive summary 2015. Journal of Small Animal Practice 56(10): 593-594 (2015)
  23. JA Stern, W Hsue, KS Song, ES Ontiveros, V Luis Fuentes, RL Stepien. Severity of mitral valve degeneration is associated with chromosome 15 loci in Whippet dogs. PLOS ONE 10(10): e0141234 (2015)
  24. J Sargent, DJ Connolly, V Watts, P Mõtsküla, HA Volk, CR Lamb, V Luis Fuentes. Assessment of mitral regurgitation in dogs: comparison of results of echocardiography with magnetic resonance imaging. Journal of Small Animal Practice 56(11):641-650 (2015)
  25. JL Pouchelon, CE Atkins, C Bussadori, MA Oyama, SL Vaden, JD Bonagura, V Chetboul,  LD Cowgill, J Elliot, T Francey, GE Grauer, V Luis Fuentes, N Sydney Moise, DJ Polzin, AM Van Dongen, N Van Israel. Cardiovascular-renal axis disorders in the domestic dog and cat: a veterinary consensus statement. Journal of Small Animal Practice 56: 537-552 (2015)
  26. E Côté, NJ Edwards, SJ Ettinger, VL Fuentes, KA MacDonald, BA Scansen, DD Sisson, JA Abbott. Management of incidentally detected heart murmurs in dogs and cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 246(10): 1076-1088 (2015)
  27. B Kaye, K Borgeat, P Motskula, V Luis Fuentes, D Connolly.  Association of  tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) with survival time in Boxer dogs with ventricular arrhythmias. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 29(2): 582-588 (2015)
  28. K Borgeat, J Dudhia, V Luis Fuentes, DJ Connolly. Circulating concentrations of a marker of type I collagen metabolism are associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation status in Ragdoll cats Journal of Small Animal Practice 56(6): 360-365 (2015)
  29. J Sargent, R Muzzi, R Mukherjee, S Somarathne, K Schranz, H Stephenson, D Connolly, D Brodbelt, V Luis Fuentes. Echocardiographic predictors of survival in canine myxomatous mitral valve disease. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 17(1): 1-12 (2015)
  30. K Borgeat, S Sudunagunta, J Stern, B Kaye,  V Luis Fuentes, DJ Connolly.  Retrospective evaluation of moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension in dogs naturally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum Journal of Small Animal Practice 56(3): 196-202 (2015)
  31. I März, LJ Wilkie, N Harrington, JR Payne, RAL Muzzi, J Häggström, K Smith, V Luis Fuentes.  Familial cardiomyopathy in Norwegian forest cats Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery, 17(8):681-691 (2015)
  32. K Borgeat, K Sherwood, JR Payne, V Luis Fuentes, DJ Connolly. Plasma cardiac troponin I concentration and cardiac death in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 28(6):1731-1737 (2014)
  33. K Borgeat, D Casamian, C Helps, V Luis Fuentes, DJ Connolly. Association of the Myosin Binding Protein C3 mutation (MYBPC3 R820W) with Cardiac Death in a Survey of 236 Ragdoll Cats. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 16(2): 73-80 (2014)
  34. Goggs R, Chan DL, Benigni L, Hirst C,  Kellet-Gregory L, Luis Fuentes V. Comparison of computed tomography pulmonary angiography and point-of-care tests for pulmonary thromboembolism diagnosis in dogs Journal of Small Animal Practice 55(4):190-197 (2014)
  35. K Borgeat, J Wright, O Garrod, JR Payne, V Luis Fuentes.  Arterial thromboembolism in 250 cats in general practice: 2004-2012 Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 28(1):102-108 (2014)
  36. JR Payne, K Borgeat, DJ Connolly, A Boswood, S Dennis, T Wagner, P Menaut, I Maerz, D Evans, VE Simons, DC Brodbelt, V Luis Fuentes.  Prognostic indicators in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 27(6):1427-1436 (2013)
  37. KE Schober, J Zientek, X Li, V Luis Fuentes, JD Bonagura. Effect of treatment with atenolol on 5-year survival in cats with preclinical (asymptomatic) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology. 15(2):93-104 (2013)
  38. PF Mõtsküla , C Linney , V Palermo , DJ Connolly, A French, J Dukes McEwan, V Luis Fuentes.  Prognostic value of 24-hour ambulatory ECG (Holter) monitoring in Boxer dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 27(4):904-912 (2013)
  39. G J Culshaw, T Wagner, V Luis Fuentes, T Schwarz, DA Yool, AT French, DJ Brockman. Identification and surgical ligation of aortopulmonic arteriovenous malformation causing left heart volume overload in 4 dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 27(3):583-587 (2013)
  40. JMC Sargent, S Dennis, V Luis Fuentes. ECG of the month. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 242(6):748-750 (2013)
  41. R Naylor, V Luis Fuentes, L Livesey, CB Mobley, N Henke, KV Brock, M Fernandez-Fuente, RJ Piercy. Evaluation of cardiac phenotype in horses with type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 26(6):1464-1469 (2012)
  42. JL Ward, KE Schober, V Luis Fuentes, JD Bonagura.  Effects of sedation on echocardiographic variables of left atrial and left ventricular function in healthy cats.  Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 14:678-685 (2012)
  43. EJT Finding, ID Jones, V Luis Fuentes, N Menzies-Gow. Evaluation of a technique for measurement of flow-mediated vasodilation in healthy ponies. American Journal of Veterinary Research 73: 755-761 (2012)
  44. V Luis Fuentes. Arterial thromboembolism: risks, realities and a rational first-line approach. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 14: 459-470 (2012)
  45. Menaut P, Connolly DJ, Volk A, Pace C, Fuentes VL, Elliott J, Syme H: Circulating natriuretic peptide concentrations in hyperthyroid cats. Journal of Small Animal Practice 53(12):673-678 (2012)
  46. SG Moesgaard, C Klostergaard, NE Zois, T Teerlink, M Molin, R Falk, CE Rasmussen, V Luis Fuentes, ID Jones, LH Olsen.  Flow-mediated vasodilation measurements in Cavalier King Charles spaniels with increasing severity of myxomatous mitral valve disease.  Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 26: 61-68 (2012)
  47. ID Jones, V Luis Fuentes, A Boswood, MJ Hezzell, D Wrigglesworth, W Moonarmart, J Elliott. Ultrasonographic measurement of flow-mediated vasodilation in dogs with chronic valvular disease. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 14: 203-210 (2012)
  48. ID Jones, V Luis Fuentes, D Wrigglesworth, E Mort, J Elliott. Comparison of flow-mediated dilation in the femoral and brachial arteries in healthy dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research 72:1029-1037 (2011)
  49. MJ Hezzell, S Dennis, DH Lewis, V Luis Fuentes.  Gerbode defect associated with blunt trauma in a dog.  Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 13:141-146 (2011)
  50. DJ Connolly, MJ Hezzell, V Luis Fuentes, YM Chang, R Swan, HM Syme.  The effect of protease inhibition on the temporal stability of NT-proBNP in feline plasma at room temperature.  Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 13: 13-19 (2011)
  51. T Wagner, V Luis Fuentes, JR Payne, N McDermott, DC Brodbelt. Comparison of auscultatory and echocardiographic findings in healthy adult cats. Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 12: 171-182 (2010)
  52. JR Payne, V Luis Fuentes, A Boswood, DJ Connolly, H Koffas, D Brodbelt. Population characteristics and survival in 127 referred cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (1997-2005) Journal of Small Animal Practice 51: 540-547 (2010)
  53. HE Wilson, S Jasani, TB Wagner, L Benigni, JR Milne, AL Stokes, V Luis Fuentes. Signs of left heart volume overload in severely anaemic cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 12: 904-909 (2010)
  54. ID Jones, V Luis Fuentes, TR Fray, C Vallance, J Elliott. Evaluation of a flow-mediated vasodilation measurement technique in healthy dogs. American Journal of Veterinary Research 71: 1154-1161 (2010)
  55. W Moonarmart, A Boswood, V Luis Fuentes, D Brodbelt, K Souttar, J Elliott. N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide and left ventricular diameter independently predict mortality in dogs with mitral valve disease. Journal of Small Animal Practice 51: 84-96 (2010)
  56. C Atkins, J Bonagura, S Ettinger, P Fox, S Gordon, J Haggstrom, R Hamlin, B Keene, V Luis-Fuentes, R Stepien.  Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Canine Chronic Valvular Heart Disease. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 23: 1142-1150 (2009)
  57. DJ Connolly, DC Brodbelt, H Copeland, S Collins, V Luis Fuentes.  Assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of circulating cardiac troponin I concentration to distinguish between cats with cardiac and non-cardiac causes of respiratory distress.  Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 11: 711-78 (2009)
  58. DJ Brockman, KE Borer, SJ Baines, D Hughes, V Luis Fuentes.  Partial right ventriculectomy using the incised patch technique to treat double chambered right ventricle and chylothorax in a cat.  Veterinary Surgery 38: 631-635 (2009)
  59. DJ Connolly, RJ Soares Magalhaes, V Luis Fuentes, A Boswood, G Cole, A Boag, HM Syme.  Assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of circulating natriuretic peptide concentrations to distinguish between cats with cardiac and non-cardiac causes of respiratory distress.  Journal of Veterinary Cardiology 11: S41-S50 (2009)
  60. VA Penning, DJ Connolly, I Gajanayake, LA McMahon, V Luis Fuentes, KE Chandler, HA Volk.  Seizure-like episodes in 3 cats with intermittent high-grade atrioventricular dysfunction.  Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 23: 200-205 (2009)
  61. R Goggs, L Benigni, V Luis Fuentes, DL Chan.  Pulmonary thromboembolism.  Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care 19: 30-52 (2009)
  62. DJ Connolly, RJ Soares Magalhaes, HM Syme, A Boswood, V Luis Fuentes, L Chu, M Metcalf. Circulating natriuretic peptides in cats with heart disease.  Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 22: 96-105 (2008)
  63. MA Oyama, DD Sisson, R Prosek, BJ Bulmer, MW Luethy, V Luis Fuentes.  Effect of carvedilol in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy: results of a prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.  Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 21: 1272-1279 (2007)
  64. A Moneva-Jordan, V Luis Fuentes, BM Corcoran, A French, J Dukes-McEwan.  Pulsus alternans in English cocker spaniels with dilated cardiomyopathy.  Journal of Small Animal Practice 48: 258-63 (2007)
  65. H Koffas, V Luis Fuentes, A Boswood, DJ Connolly, DJ Brockman, JD Bonagura, KM Meurs, S Koplitz, R Baumwart.  Double chambered right ventricle in 9 cats. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 21: 76-80 (2007)
  66. V Luis Fuentes.  Echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function in feline myocardial disease.  Ultrasound 14: 155-160 (2006)

Virginia is involved with final year rotational teaching when on clinics and training residents.

Virginia spends half of her time working in the cardiac clinic at the Queen Mother Hospital. She is interested in all aspects of cardiology, but especially feline heart disease and mitral regurgitation.

  • CatScan

    The CatScan study was set up to investigate the prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in the general cat population by screening apparently healthy cats in rehoming centres. 

    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a thickening (hypertrophy) of the muscles of the wall of the left ventricle of the heart causing the heart to be less able to relax between contractions. In some cases, this can lead to an increase in pressure in the left atrium which then enlarges. The increase in pressure in the left atrium causes back pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs and a fluid build up in the lungs. In severe cases, a blood clot can sometimes form within the enlarged left atrium.

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