Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog hit by car develops heart defect and needs pacemaker
By Cunningham, Suzanne M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2013·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Acquired Gerbode defect and third-degree atrioventricular block secondary to vehicular trauma in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1.5-year-old neutered male Newfoundland was hit by a car and brought in for serious internal bleeding. The vet found that he had a heart condition called a Gerbode defect, which is an abnormal connection between the heart's chambers, along with a complete heart block that required a permanent pacemaker. To help with his heart failure, he was started on medications like pimobendan, furosemide, and enalapril. Although the first attempt to fix the defect was unsuccessful, the dog is now doing well on his heart medications and has a good quality of life.
People also search for: dog heart block treatment · Newfoundland heart problems · pacemaker for dog heart condition
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of traumatically acquired left ventricular to right atrial communication (Gerbode defect), atrial septal defect (ASD), and third-degree atrioventricular block (AVB) necessitating permanent pacemaker placement in a dog. CASE SUMMARY: A 1.5-year-old neutered male Newfoundland dog was struck by a car and was referred for further evaluation and treatment of hemoabdomen. Persistent third-degree AVB, a right-sided cardiac murmur and right-sided congestive heart failure (CHF) were identified, and echocardiographic examination revealed a type-A Gerbode defect and ASD. Pimobendan, furosemide, and enalapril therapies were initiated for treatment of CHF. Persistent AVB eventually necessitated permanent pacemaker implantation. Initial attempts at minimally invasive occlusion of the Gerbode defect were unsuccessful; however the dog continues to do well clinically on chronic cardiac medications. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: To our knowledge, an acquired Gerbode defect secondary to trauma with associated ASD, CHF, and third-degree AVB necessitating permanent pacemaker therapy have not yet been reported in the veterinary literature. The extended survival and follow-up available on this patient postpacemaker implantation also documents that longer term survival is possible with this defect.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24304841/