Detecting a canine heart murmur is hard. Proving it to a pet owner is harder. Clinic noise, a panting patient, and the limits of human hearing make subtle murmurs easy to miss. And when one is caught, a happy, tail-wagging dog gives an owner every reason to hesitate. Without something tangible to show them, trust is hard to build — and that dog doesn’t get the treatment it needs. So we worked with veterinary cardiologists and Boehringer Ingelheim to to build canine murmur detection into the stethoscope.
Introducing Eko Vet+™ | CANINEBEAT™ AI — a first-of-its-kind hardware and software solution purpose-built for veterinarians.
It brings together the Eko CORE™, Eko Vet+ App, and CANINEBEAT™ AI algorithm to support better care for dogs with heart disease.
95.4%
specificity for murmurs associated with structural heart disease
96.9%
sensitivity for murmurs associated with structural heart disease
Turn what you hear into evidence pet owners can see.
Detect what you might have missed.
Many canine heart murmurs, particularly those associated with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), are subtle and occur at low frequencies that are difficult or impossible for humans to hear.¹ The Eko CORE™ amplifies heart sounds up to 40x and filters out clinic noise, and CANINEBEAT™ AI — which detects murmurs associated with structural heart disease with over 95% sensitivity and specificity — provides expert-validated support in every exam.
Share insights with pet owners in real time.
The Eko Vet+™ App transforms heart sounds into simple visual insights that can be shared with owners so they can “see” what the veterinarian hears. The murmur becomes less abstract for owners, helping build trust with the care team and providing evidence to track over time.
Encourage owner follow-through.
When a dog looks perfectly healthy, getting owners to follow through with recommended next steps can be challenging, especially when costs could be significant. But when they can see objective clinical evidence of their dog's condition, they're more likely to understand the urgency and get their pet the care they need, sooner.
Meet the hardware behind the solution.
Eko CORE™ Digital Attachment
Connects to most single-tube stethoscopes, instantly upgrading them with digital capabilities including 40x sound amplification, background noise filtering, and cardiac-specific sound processing. No new stethoscope required.
3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope
Pairs a 3M™ Littmann® Cardiology IV™ Stethoscope with the Eko CORE™ Digital Attachment in one preassembled device — delivering all the same digital capabilities, straight out of the box.
The difference is clear.
Traditional auscultation
With Eko Vet+™ | CANINEBEAT™ AI
A 2020 study shows general practice veterinarians found only 1 out of 97 soft heart murmurs in puppies that were detected by a specialist cardiologist.2
CANINEBEAT™ AI detects canine heart murmurs related to structural heart disease with over 95% sensitivity and specificity, delivering consistent performance in every exam.
Background noise, restless patients, and hearing limitations make it harder to auscultate accurately, even for experienced vets.
The Eko CORE™ amplifies sounds up to 40x and filters out background noise for a more focused exam.
When a dog appears healthy, owners struggle to accept a finding they can’t see or hear. Without tangible evidence, trust is hard to build and treatment easy to delay.
The Eko Vet+™ App creates a heart sound graph and owner-friendly PDF report that makes murmurs impossible to ignore, turning a difficult conversation into an informed decision.
Without standardized tools, murmur grading varies between veterinarians and across visits, making it harder to track disease progression or justify care decisions over time.
CANINEBEAT™ AI grades murmurs in consistent, repeatable assessments backed by the world’s largest canine heart sound dataset.
Without a consistent record of heart sounds over time, subtle changes in murmur progression are easy to miss between visits.
Recorded heart sounds are stored and compared across visits, giving veterinarians a reliable way to monitor disease progression over time.
Auscultation confidence varies across the team, and without access to a specialist, uncertain findings are difficult to validate in the moment.
50 cardiologists supported development of the entire Eko Vet+™ | CANINEBEAT™ AI solution.
What veterinary pros say about Eko.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Eko Vet+ | CANINEBEAT™ Al?
Eko Vet+™ | CANINEBEAT™ AI is a three-part solution combining the Eko CORE™, the Eko Vet+™ App (both developed and manufactured by Eko Health, Inc.), and the CANINEBEAT™ AI algorithm provided by Boehringer Ingelheim for integration into the Eko Vet+™ App.
The CANINEBEAT™ AI algorithm was developed, trained and validated with input from 50 veterinary cardiologists and renowned experts including Prof. Gerhard Wess, Prof. Jens Häggström, and Assoc. Prof. Ingrid Ljungvall. Valuable contributions were also received from Profs. Sonya Gordon and Brian Scansen for expert sound annotation and consultancy.
It helps veterinarians detect and grade* canine heart murmurs, see findings in real time, and have more confident conversations with pet owners — all from a single 5-second recording.
*CANINEBEAT™ AI analyzes heart sounds and classifies murmur loudness using a modified Levine intensity scale.
Which stethoscopes work with the solution?
Eko Vet+™ | CANINEBEAT™ AI is compatible with two Eko devices. The Eko CORE™ Digital Attachment connects to most single-tube stethoscopes, instantly upgrading your existing equipment. The 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope comes pre-assembled with Eko's digital technology built in, for a ready-to-go solution right out of the box.
What does a typical exam look like?
After attaching your Eko device, open the Eko Vet+™ App and auscultate as you normally would while the app captures a 5-second heart sound recording. Enter the dog's details — breed size, age, and recording location.
CANINEBEAT™ AI analyzes the recording and returns a murmur detection result and grade* in seconds. From there, you can view a heart sound graph, review the disease finding, and share a report with the pet owner — all before leaving the exam room.
*CANINEBEAT™ AI analyzes heart sounds and classifies murmur loudness using a modified Levine intensity scale.
How does CANINEBEAT™ AI work?
CANINEBEAT™ AI uses advanced machine learning to analyze a recorded heart sound alongside patient information you enter — including the dog's breed size, age, and recording location. It detects the presence of a murmur, classifies its intensity as soft, moderate, or loud, and provides a suggested disease finding to help guide your next steps.
It's important to note that CANINEBEAT™ AI is a clinical decision support tool, not a diagnostic one. Results are intended to assist your judgment, not replace it, and a comprehensive cardiac auscultation exam is always recommended. Further investigation — such as echocardiography or radiography — may be needed, and all findings should be interpreted by a veterinarian.
Is CANINEBEAT™ AI validated for species other than dogs?
Not currently. CANINEBEAT™ AI has been validated specifically for canine patients. It is not validated for feline, equine, or other species at this time.
How do I get started?
Purchase an Eko CORE™ Digital Attachment or a 3M™ Littmann® CORE Digital Stethoscope. Download the Eko Vet+™ App on iOS or Android, connect to your new device, and you're ready to go. For setup support, visit support.ekohealth.com or contact support@ekohealth.com.
References:
1. Christer Ahlström (2006). Processing of the Phonocardiographic Signal − Methods for the Intelligent Stethoscope.
2. Van Staveren MDB, Szatmari V. Detecting and recording cardiac murmurs in clinically healthy puppies in first opinion veterinary practice at the first health check. Acta Vet Scand 2020;62:37.
