16/09/2025
Unfortunately, heart disease doesn't just affect our older patients...
Keith came to see us at 5 months of age because he had a heart murmur. A scan of his heart revealed that Keith had a congenital condition called a PDA, or Patent Ductus Arteriosus, which is a vessel that connects the two major vessels leaving the heart, the Aorta and the Pulmonary Artery. This vessel plays a vital role in animals before they are born, as it diverts blood around the lungs, which are not functioning, but shortly before birth, this vessel should close. In some animals, this does not happen, which allows the blood to keep circulating back through the lungs instead of being sent around the rest of the body. If left untreated, the overload of blood on the left side of the heart can cause heart failure. Luckily, PDA’s are treatable; a minimally invasive procedure can be done to place an Amplatz Canine Ductal Occluder (ACDO), which is positioned to close the PDA. Keith underwent this procedure, and it was a success! It is expected that patients who have a PDA treated with an ACDO will go on to live long, healthy lives, so the future looks bright for Keith!