Most of us remember that the pulmonic, aortic and mitral valve areas are found over the left 3rd, 4th and 5th intercostal spaces respectively. But how useful is that in a tachypnoeic patient? Bout as useful as a chocolate fireguard. Here’s a way to use your stethoscope to find the valve areas.Stick your steth caudal to the heart and move it cranially until you first hear the heart sounds. Now CONCENTRATE! Listen to how loud the 2 heart sounds are. Mitral is the first heart sound and you are over mitral so you will hear a louder first heart sound: LUB dup, LUB dup. Next push your stethoscope under the dog’s triceps and move it down towards the sternum. Go far enough forwards that you can’t hear the heart then move it caudally. Pulmonic is one of the 2nd heart sounds so you will hear lub DUP, lub DUP. To find aortic go between the two areas you have already identified. You can often appreciate that the aortic sound is louder than the pulmonic. Don’t forget to listen on the right side and over the ventral sternum in cats (where they hide their murmurs. If you forget, Sod’s Law sez that’s where the murmur or gallop will be!Murmurs may be quiet or absent with hypovolaemia so always reauscultate as you volume replace them especially if they are in a high risk group for heart disease (giant breed and small breed dogs).