Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Long-term pacemaker use for heart block in a Shiba Inu dog
By Morita, Shohei et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2025·Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Long-term management of paroxysmal atrioventricular block with Wenckebach cycles in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old female Shiba Inu was brought to the vet because she was having trouble exercising, felt dizzy while walking, and had a discolored tongue. After tests showed she had a heart condition called paroxysmal atrioventricular block, the vet implanted a pacemaker to help regulate her heartbeat. Remarkably, she lived with the pacemaker for over 13 years, reaching the age of 15, and there were no signs of any underlying issues with her heart's conduction system. This suggests her heart problem might have been linked to stimulation of the vagus nerve.
People also search for: dog fainting spells · Shiba Inu heart problems · pacemaker for dogs · exercise intolerance in dogs
Abstract
This is the first report of paroxysmal atrioventricular block with Wenckebach cycles in a dog exhibiting syncope. The patient was a 1-year-old female Shiba Inu referred to our hospital with chief complaints of exercise intolerance, dizziness during walking, and tongue discoloration. Pacemaker implantation was performed based on the clinical presentation and Holter electrocardiogram findings. In this case, long-term management was successfully achieved for 13 years and 3 months (Age 15 years old) after the placement of pacemaker. A histopathological examination revealed that no abnormalities in the conduction system were detected that could explain the arrhythmia. Consequently, the arrhythmia was suspected to have been caused by vagus nerve stimulation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40139832/