Advanced Cardiology Masterclass
Module 1: Advanced Feline Cardiology
What is established, what is emerging, and where do the controversies lie?
Weekend 1 of the Advanced Cardiology Masterclass, with Prof. Virginia Luis Fuentes: advanced feline cardiomyopathy and echocardiography, controversial therapies, and difficult feline decision-making.
Key facts
September 18–19, 2027 · In person, Florence, Italy · 9:00–17:00, both days · Advanced level · Part of the Advanced Cardiology Masterclass · €900 for the weekend (all taxes included) · Certificate of attendance
This registration is for Weekend 1 only (September 18–19, 2027, Florence). Want the complete Advanced Cardiology Masterclass, all five weekends?
About the weekend
Where does HCM end and a phenocopy begin? Which advanced echocardiographic indices can you use, and where do they mislead? What is established, what is emerging, and where do the controversies lie with rapamycin, cardiac myosin inhibitors, and pimobendan? And how do you manage the difficult CHF patient when treatment has to be escalated?
Prof. Virginia Luis Fuentes teaches advanced feline cardiomyopathy and echocardiography on Saturday: HCM beyond the basics, the non-HCM cardiomyopathies, advanced feline echocardiographic parameters, and the biggest pitfalls in feline echocardiography. Sunday turns to controversial therapies and difficult clinical decisions: rapamycin, cardiac myosin inhibitors, and pimobendan; clopidogrel, rivaroxaban, and feline thromboembolic disease; diuretics and refractory feline heart failure; and feline cardiovascular emergencies.
The weekend begins with short refreshers of the fundamentals and moves quickly into advanced interpretation, controversial therapy, and difficult feline decision-making. It is at an advanced level, and there are no practical sessions. It is the first weekend of the Advanced Cardiology Masterclass, and you can book it on its own.
What you will be able to do
By the end of the weekend, participants will be able to:
- Refine the diagnostic approach to HCM and distinguish it from important phenocopies and non-HCM cardiomyopathies
- Use advanced echocardiographic measurements selectively and understand their limitations
- Identify common and subtle causes of error in feline echocardiographic interpretation
- Critically discuss emerging and controversial pharmacological strategies, including rapamycin, cardiac myosin inhibitors, and pimobendan
- Apply contemporary antithrombotic and heart-failure principles to complex feline cases
Weekend at a glance
Weekend 1: Advanced Feline
Cardiology
Advanced Feline
Cardiomyopathy & Echocardiography; Controversial Therapies & Difficult
Clinical Decisions
September 18–19, 2027 • Florence, Italy • Prof. Virginia Luis Fuentes • Advanced level · No practical sessions
Saturday covers advanced feline cardiomyopathy and echocardiography. Sunday covers controversial therapies and difficult clinical decisions.
Is this weekend right for you?
This weekend is for clinicians who want to move beyond broad feline cardiology teaching into specialist interpretation, controversial decision-making, and advanced cases.
It begins with short refreshers of the fundamentals and moves quickly into advanced content. For a broad clinically oriented overview of feline cardiology, the Feline Cardiology Weekend (March 20–21, 2027, Bucharest, with Dr. Simon Swift) is the stand-alone overview.
Faculty
Prof. Virginia Luis Fuentes
Weekend 1: Advanced Feline Cardiology
Professor of Veterinary Cardiology, Royal Veterinary College
Weekend 1 is taught by a Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the Royal Veterinary College who has chaired the ECVIM-CA Cardiology Specialty and the ACVIM Feline Cardiomyopathy Consensus Statement group.
Virginia graduated from Cambridge and worked in general practice for 5 years before becoming a Lecturer at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh. She then moved to the USA as an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and then the Ohio State University. She joined the Royal Veterinary College in 2004, where she is a Professor of Veterinary Cardiology.
She has been Chair of the ECVIM-CA Cardiology Specialty and Chair of the ACVIM Feline Cardiomyopathy Consensus Statement group, and is currently co-chair of the American Society of Echocardiography writing group for small animal guidelines on echocardiography.
Part of the Advanced Cardiology Masterclass
Weekend 1 is part of the Masterclass, and you can take it on its own. The Advanced Cardiology Masterclass is a five-weekend advanced pathway from September 2027 to May 2028: advanced feline cardiology, advanced ECG and arrhythmias, congenital heart disease, advanced echocardiography, and POCUS and emergency cardiology. The Masterclass is completed only by attending all five weekends, and the European certificate is awarded only after completion of all five weekends and a pass in the final examination. Practical sessions (Weekends 4 and 5), between-weekend tasks and mentorship, the final examination, and the European certificate are available only to participants enrolled in the full program. Attending a weekend individually does not constitute completion of the Masterclass.
Conclusion
Two days of advanced feline cardiology: HCM beyond the basics, the pitfalls of feline echocardiography, controversial therapies, and the difficult feline patient, with Prof. Virginia Luis Fuentes.
Questions about whether the weekend fits you? hello@skillvet.com
Registration fees
- Full program, early bird (until 30th of April 2027)
€5,900 (all taxes included) - Full program, standard (after 1st of May 2027)
€6,400 (all taxes included) - Weekends 1, 2 or 3, booked individually
€900 per weekend (all taxes included)
What's included: two days of teaching with Prof. Virginia Luis Fuentes, course materials, lunch and coffee on both days, and a certificate of attendance.
Not included: accommodation, travel, and evening meals.
Romanian VAT (21%) is legally required for all participants, regardless of country of origin or VAT registration status. This is a legal obligation under EU and Romanian tax law for in-person educational events; it cannot be waived or exempted.
FAQ
Yes. Weekend 1 of the Advanced Cardiology Masterclass can be booked individually at €900 (all taxes included). At the end, you receive a certificate of attendance.
Weekend 1 is part of the five-weekend Masterclass. Attending it individually does not constitute completion of the Masterclass. Practical sessions, between-weekend tasks and mentorship, the final examination, and the European certificate are available only to participants enrolled in the full program, which is the only route to the European certificate.
The Feline Cardiology Weekend (March 20–21, 2027, Bucharest, with Dr. Simon Swift) is a stand-alone broad overview of feline cardiology. This weekend is advanced: it begins with short refreshers of the fundamentals and moves quickly into advanced interpretation, controversial therapy, and difficult feline decision-making.
No. This weekend is advanced theory and cases, with no practical sessions. The practical sessions of the Masterclass are in Weekends 4 and 5.
In person, in Florence, Italy.
The registration fee covers two days of teaching, course materials, lunch, and coffee on both days, and a certificate of attendance. Accommodation, travel, and evening meals are not included.
English.
Accreditation has not been confirmed for this weekend. If that changes, the details will be published here.
Yes.
Contact hello@skillvet.com.
Cancellations submitted more than 30 days before the start date are eligible for a full refund. Cancellations received within 30 days of the start date are not eligible for a refund. To cancel, contact hello@skillvet.com.
Accommodation,
flights, and evening meals are not included in the registration fee and are the
responsibility of each participant.
No scholarships are currently available.