1 Apr 2022
Vets at Willows Veterinary Centre and Referrals Service fitted an emergency pacemaker to the seven-year-old German shepherd dog after he was diagnosed with persistent atrial standstill.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
Dexter.
A constantly collapsing dog with a rare condition has undergone an intricate surgery at a West Midlands practice, where vets installed a pacemaker.
The seven-year-old German shepherd dog, called Dexter, was suffering from a condition called persistent atrial standstill (PAS), which was causing him to collapse to the floor every few minutes.
Dexter’s vet referred him as an emergency out-of-hours case to Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull, where RCVS and European specialist in small animal cardiology Fabio Sarcinella decided to operate on the same night.
Mr Sarcinella said: “Dexter was collapsing every few minutes, even with minimal exercise, as his heart rate continued to slow down alarmingly.
“We carried out an ECG that confirmed the diagnosis of PAS, which occurs when the top chamber of the heart stops working and results in a very low heart rate.”
In Dexter’s case, his heart rate could go as low as 36 beats per minute, causing his collapsing episodes.
Mr Sarcinella added: “In the circumstances, the only available treatment for Dexter was the fitting of an emergency pacemaker.”
Dexter recovered well from surgery and was allowed home two days after having been admitted to the Linnaeus-owned practice.
