Rebecca Stepien, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), Clinical Professor

rebecca.stepien@wisc.edu

Department of Medical Sciences
Office: 2064

Rebecca Stepien, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), Clinical Professor

Titles and Education

  1. Clinical Professor-Cardiology, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine
  2. Chief of Small Animal Services, UW Veterinary Care (2010-2021)
  3. Diplomate ACVIM (Cardiology)
  4. Cardiology Residency, The Ohio State University
  5. MS, The Ohio State University
  6. Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, The Animal Medical Center, New York, NY
  7. DVM, University of Wisconsin
  8. BS, University of Wisconsin

Research

Dr. Stepien's research interests include the natural history of mitral valve disease in whippets, diagnostic evaluation of mitral valve disease in dogs, echocardiographic evaluation of canine and feline heart disease, and multicenter clinical trials in canine and feline cardiovascular disease.

Responsibilities

Currently, Dr. Stepien is a clinical cardiologist at UW Veterinary Care, the cardiology residency program director, and chair of the Educational Policy Committee. She also is a cardiology lecturer and leads cardiology clinical rotations.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Stepien is interested in clinical staging of acquired heart disease in dogs and cats, diagnosis and therapy of mitral valve disease in dogs, the effects of physical conditioning on cardiac structure and function, and systemic hypertension in dogs and cats.

Graduate Training

Master of Sciences, The Ohio State University
Capstone Post-Graduate Certificate:   Fundamentals of Clinical Research, University of Wisconsin

Recent Publications

  1. Stepien RL, Kellihan HB, Visser LC, Wenholz LJ, Luis Fuentes V.  Echocardiographic values for normal conditioned and unconditioned North American whippets.  J Vet Intern Med, published online April 2023, DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16691.
  2. Frantz E, Tjostheim SS, Palumbo A, Kellihan H, Stepien RL. Indications, complications and outcomes associated with epicardial pacemakers in 20 cats. J Vet Cardiol 2021;36:89-98.
  3. Adin D, Freeman F, Stepien R, Rush JE, Tjostheim S, Kellihan H, Aherne M, Vereb M, Goldberg R. Effect of diet type on circulating taurine concentrations, cardiac biomarkers, and echocardiograms in four dog breeds. J Vet Intern Med 2021;35:771-779.
  4. Stepien RL, Rak MB, Blume LM. Use of radiographic measurements to identify dogs with Stage B2 preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2020 May 15;256(10):1129-1136.
  5. Boswood A, Gordon S, Häggström J, Vanselow M, Wess G, Stepien R, Oyama M, Keene B, Bonagura J, MacDonald K, Patteson M, Smith S, Fox P, Sanderson K, Woolley R, Szatmári V, Menaut P, Church W, O'Sullivan L, Jaudon J-P, Kresken J-G, Rush J, Barrett, K, Rosenthal S, Saunders A, Ljungvall I, Deinert M, Bomassi E, Estrada A, Fernández del Palacio MJ, Moise NS, Abbott J, Fujii Y, Spier A, Luethy M, Santilli R, Uechi M, Tidholm A, Schummer C, Watson P. Temporal changes in clinical and radiographic variables in dogs with preclinical myxomatous mitral valve disease: The EPIC study. J Vet Intern Med. 2020 May;34(3):1108-1118.
  6. Keene BW, Atkins CE, Bonagura JD, Fox PR, Haggstrom J, Luis Fuentes V, Oyama MA, Rush JE, Stepien R, Uechi M.  ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2019 May-Jun; 33(3): 1127–1140.
  7. Nadolny K, Kellihan H, Scansen BA, Tjostheim S, Grint K, Forrest L, Stepien R.  Cor triatriatum dexter in 17 dogs.  J Vet Cardiol  2019;23:129-141.

  8. Stepien RL, Kellihan HB, Luis Fuentes V. Prevalence and diagnostic characteristics of non-clinical mitral regurgitation murmurs in North American Whippets. J Vet Cardiol. 2017;19(4):317-324.
  9. Tjostheim SS, Stepien RL, Markovic LE, Stein TJ. Effects of toceranib phosphate on systolic blood pressure and proteinuria in dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2016;30(4):951-957.