Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Young Shetland sheepdog's heart blockage fixed by surgery
By Yaginuma, Y et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2023·VCA Japan Shiraishi Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction caused by a congenital accessory mitral valve leaflet and treated by open-heart surgery in a young dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old Shetland sheepdog was brought to the vet because it had a loud heart murmur and seemed tired after exercise. An ultrasound of the heart showed a problem with the mitral valve, which was causing a blockage in the heart's outflow tract. The dog underwent open-heart surgery to remove the extra valve tissue and repair the mitral valve. After the surgery, the blockage was resolved, and the dog was doing well five months later, with no further treatment needed.
People also search for: puppy heart murmur · Shetland sheepdog heart surgery · congenital heart problems in dogs
Abstract
A 3-month-old Shetland sheepdog presented with a loud ejection murmur and exercise intolerance. Echocardiography revealed an accessory mitral valve leaflet, characterised by a valve-like structure separate from the mitral valve seen in the subaortic region of the ventricular septum. The left ventricular outflow tract was partially obstructed with a pressure gradient of 12 mmHg. Accessory mitral valve leaflet resection and mitral valvuloplasty were performed during open-heart surgery. Histology performed on the membrane-like structures were indicative of fibrous connective tissues. Postoperative echocardiography confirmed removal of the valve-like structure with resolution of the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The pressure gradient was decreased to 4.6 mmHg. The dog was in good condition and no further treatment was required 5 months after surgery. Both cardiac troponin I and NT-proBNP were markedly decreased. In this dog, surgical resection combined with mitral valve plasty resolved the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and the clinical signs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36284366/