Remember Me
forgot your password?

Pacemakers Are Now Commonly Available For Dogs

Many people know someone who has had a pacemaker implanted for a cardiac rhythm disturbance. Like so many treatments, this has now made the switch from human to veterinary medicine and pacemakers are widely available for implantation into dogs that would otherwise be reliant on less effective drugs.

What is a pacemaker?

A pacemaker is an electronic device for use in certain cases of heart disease to assume the functions of the natural cardiac pacemaker. The first pacemaker to be implanted in a human was in 1957, the first dog to have a pacemaker fitted was in 1968. Since then, the implantation technique has developed so that a pacemaker can now be implanted by feeding it up a peripheral vein to the heart, rather than via open chest surgery.

When is a pacemaker required?

Pacemakers are useful in the treatment of a slower than usual heart rate (bradyarrhythmia) that causes symptoms in the patient. These types of rhythm disturbances are poorly responsive to drugs.

The 2 most common types of bradyarrhythmia in dogs are:

1) Third-Degree Atrioventricular Block
2) Sick Sinus Syndrome

Dogs with either of these conditions usually have a history of a slow heart rate, exercise intolerance, lethargy and sometimes collapse (syncope). Some dogs with third-degree atrioventricular block may already have signs of congestive heart failure, such as fluid in the abdomen (ascites) and fluid between the lungs and chest wall (pleural effusion).

What is required for diagnosis?

A complete baseline blood profile, including hematology and biochemistry, should always be conducted to rule out concurrent disease.

Chest xrays often show an enlarged heart, and are useful to rule out primary respiratory disease.

Ultrasound is used to assess the contractility of the heart muscle, the dimensions of the heart chambers and the function of the valves.

The most important of all diagnostic tests is electrocardiography (ecg). This measures the electrical pulses in the heart itself, so is the most useful for studying rhythm disturbances.

How is a pacemaker fitted?

The dog is put under general anesthetic, taking care to maintain circulation and ventilation as best possible during the procedure. Sometimes a temporary pacemaker is placed via a leg vein, from induction of anesthesia until the permanent one is implanted.

The permanent pacemaker is fitted via a lead in the right jugular vein in the dogs neck. The lead is passed all the way down into the right ventricle of the heart. Once in place, the lead is connected to the pulse generator and the heart is paced as necessary. A pulse generator is implanted under the skin on the right side of the neck. Once implanted, the pacemaker can be interrogated to find out information about sensing and pacing thresholds. The heart rate can be set according to the heart disease present.

Is there much postoperative care?

A bandage is placed around the neck for 7 days following surgery. Dogs should be kept calm for the 48hrs following surgery, the anti anxiety drug acepromazine is sometimes prescribed for this purpose. Antibiotics and painkillers are given for a week or so after the implantation.

What about longer term aftercare?

Aftercare of pacemaker dogs is vital. Animals must be kept quiet for 28 days after implantation to allow the lead to become imbedded in the heart wall. If the lead becomes dislodged the pacemaker with fail, with potentially disastrous results.

Regular follow up appointments with the cardiologist are very important. Stitches are removed 10 days after the procedure, with further appointments at 4 week intervals for several months.

Summary

Whilst for many uninsured pets pacemakers might not be affordable, technological advances mean they are becoming cheaper and more widely available. Although implantation is considered a high risk procedure, complications rates are low and the severity of the disease means it is the treatment of choice.

Pacemakers allow many dogs to return to their normal day to day activities, and most of them can enjoy a relatively normal life expectancy.

Matthew Homfray

Dr Matthew Homfray is one of the veterinary pet experts at www.televets.com. Our dedicated community of caring pet experts are waiting to offer you free advice, second opinions and support.

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Pets Articles
  • More from Matthew Homfray

Waterproof Dog Beds: Several Reasons You Should Have a Waterproof Dog Bed for Your Dog

By: Matt Knacks | 07/12/2009
Check out details, compare, and buy Waterproof Dog Bed. Find out more about waterproof dog bed and more at http://www.shopforpetbeds.com

Waterproof Dog Beds: Things to Consider When Purchasing a Waterproof Dog Bed

By: Matt Knacks | 07/12/2009
Check out details, compare, and buy Waterproof Dog Bed. Find out more about waterproof dog bed and more at http://www.shopforpetbeds.com

Building a Simple Chicken Coop

By: Mckayla Anna | 07/12/2009
You can go about building a simple chicken coop, and it won't even cost you that much money to do so. This was you can get free eggs from those chickens and enjoy them. Perhaps even look into selling some later on. However, you may not have known how to build that chicken coop so you just never tried.

Luxury Pet Boutique

By: Alex Vitti | 07/12/2009
Business regardless of what type will always be fueled by having the right people on the team. The biggest challenge many people face is where to find them. With the accelerated growth that the pet industry has enjoyed, luxury products for pets will propel the business to the next level.

Pet Arthritis: Understanding Your Pets Joint Pains

By: David LeAche | 06/12/2009
Just as with people, many pets suffer from arthritis. While most pet owners believe that arthritis in dogs only occurs in elderly animals, there are many other causes besides aging that can lead to the soreness and inflammation of a pet's joints. In more than half of the dogs over six...

Guinea Pigs - The History and Origins of the Guinea Pig

By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009
Guinea pigs and humans share a history of more than 10,000 years. The cavy originated in Central and South America. In the wild, their domain extended throughout Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. The cavy was domesticated by the Inca Indians somewhere around 7,000 or 8,000 years ago. They were...

Guinea Pigs - How to Care For Your Cavy

By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009
The guinea pig - also known as a cavy - is one of the more popular pets in North America. This is largely because they are friendly, docile and amiable creatures. And with few special needs, they are also relatively easy to care for. There are many varieties of guinea...

Guinea Pigs - a Cavy Q

By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009
The guinea pig is one of the most popular pets in North America. In spite of this, there are many facts about this little creature that are not commonly known by most people. Please join me as I attempt to explore (sometimes successfully) some facts regarding the history and characteristics...

How to Treat Lick Granulomas in Dogs

By: Matthew Homfray | 22/01/2008 | Pets
A Lick Granuloma is an area of skin on a dogs leg that is licked at so frequently that it is unable to heal. It is one of the most frustrating skin problems there is. There is usually an underlying cause, plus a secondary bacterial infection, plus an obsessive-compulsive behavioral cycle to deal with.

Help, My Dog Is Vomiting!

By: Matthew Homfray | 09/04/2007 | Pets
Vomiting in dogs is a very common occurrence and can arise from a wide variety of causes, from simple gastritis to complex diseases of other body systems. This article explains the multiple causes of vomiting in dogs, and the range of treatment options available.

Does Your Dog Leak Urine?

By: Matthew Homfray | 06/04/2007 | Pets
Urinary incontinence is a common disorder in older female dogs, as many as 20% of neutered bitches develop it at some point in their lives. The reason is usually urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI). In this article we review the current state of knowledge on this condition, focusing on the management and treatment options.

Brain Tumors in Dogs and Cats

By: Matthew Homfray | 05/04/2007 | Pets
Though relatively uncommon, a brain tumor has always made a grim prognosis for any unfortunate animal that is diagnosed with one. Here we discuss the different types of brain tumor that affect dogs and cats, the clinical investigations that can be performed, the treatments available and the likely outcomes.

Help, I Have Found A Lump On My Dog!

By: Matthew Homfray | 05/04/2007 | Pets
Skin tumors are very common in dogs, but two thirds of them are benign and therefore merely cosmetic. Here we look at the most common types of tumor affecting the skin in dogs, and what, if any, treatment they require.

Food Allergies in Dogs

By: Matthew Homfray | 03/04/2007 | Pets
Although a food allergy is not curable, the good news is that with proper diagnosis and management it can be well controlled in virtually 100% of cases.

Epilepsy in Dogs and Cats

By: Matthew Homfray | 02/04/2007 | Pets
Epilepsy is a non progressive brain disorder that induces recurrent seizures. It is very important to understand that there are numerous disorders that can cause seizures, and in order to make a diagnosis of true epilepsy, many of these other causes must be ruled out.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.63, 8, w1)