02/07/2025
Meet Poppy...
Poppy came to see us after having some episodes of weakness and collapse. When we looked at her ECG (the electrical activity of the heart) she was having some very long pauses with no heart beat and was diagnosed with Sick Sinus Syndrome. These pauses will have been causing Poppy's collapsing episodes so it was decided to go ahead and fit Poppy with a pacemaker.
In dogs, the pacemaker itself is surgically placed under the skin at the side of the neck. A pacing lead is inserted into the heart via a catheter through the main blood vessels in the neck (the Jugular vein) and into the right side of the heart. The pacing lead then stays within the heart and is attached to the pacemaker in the neck, allowing it to deliver the electrical “spark” if the pacemaker detects that the heart rate is too slow to ensure the heart continues to beat.
Poppy did really well for her procedure, we sucessfully fitted her pacemaker and she was able to go home later in the day. Poppy will have her pacemaker monitored periodically to make sure it is working properly. Unlike in humans, Poppy's pacemaker will last for the rest of her life and she won't need to have it replaced.
Well done Poppy, you were a superstar!! 🌟🌟
