Analysis of the large volumes of information contained in a 24 hr Holter recording requires either large
amounts of time by the interpreting clinician or sophisticated analysis software. Until recently, veterinary
cardiologists were forced to work with software systems designed for humans and to try to mold these systems to
read the canine and feline ECG. Some specific problems
encountered include the presence of sinus arrhythmia in dogs and
the relatively high normal heart rates in dogs and cats, neither of
which are typically encountered in people. For example, systems
designed for humans commonly report supraventricular tachycardia
as an erroneous interpretation of sinus tachycardia in an excited
dog. Such an error could result in incorrect medical treatment or
extra time evaluating and correcting each of the computer
misreads. Recently, advanced software designed specifically for
animals has been released (Trillium VetTM Holter System) and its
algorithms have been tailored to the unique nature of animal ECGs
providing rapid, accurate analysis for veterinarians.