ABSTRACT
Electrocardiography is the making of a graphic record that depicts the electrical activity of the heart muscle as detected over time. The electrical activity of the heart is measured by placing electrodes on specific surfaces and measuring electrical potentials between pairs of points. Performing and assessing an electrocardiogram (ECG) gives the veterinarian insight into rhythm and conduction disturbances within the heart, potential electrical abnormalities, effect of various drugs on the heart, and occasionally anatomic orientation and abnormal chamber size. The ECG records the stimulation (or depolarization) of cardiac cells followed by the relaxation (or repolarization) of cardiac cells. Depolarization and repolarization create waves of electrical forces with a mean direction after opposite forces are cancelled out. The primary purpose for obtaining the ECG is to evaluate the electrical activity of the heart. Many arrhythmias happen intermittently and therefore checking the ECG periodically will decrease the probability of the arrhythmia being witnessed.
