At 2.5 years of age her diagnosis was upgraded to a mild congenital heart defect, now adopted- life is good! Lacey was born in a puppy mill, sold to a broker and found to have a very loud heart murmur. Thankfully she was then turned over to Safehaven Small Breed Rescue. She has been seen by several cardiologists and had many tests where they found a terminal defect of her heart. A ventricular sept
al defect is a hole ("defect") in the muscular wall inside the heart (the septum) that separates the two main pumping chambers of the heart: the right ventricle and the left ventricle. This is an inherited defect which means that either one of the parents can pass along the gene to its offspring; one normal parent and one parent with the genetic defect that causes VSD is enough to transmit the condition to offspring, usually to varying degrees. In Lacey’s case the defect is large and involves the aortic valve and part of the pulmonary artery. This means the circulation is disrupted in a way that forces the heart to work much harder. At 6 months of age, she is already experiencing shortness of breath and exercise intolerance, as well as early signs of CHF. She is on medications to support the heart and to reduce congestion in the lungs, a special diet, and exercise restriction. There is no surgery to repair this kind of defect. Because Lacey does not have a long life expectancy and cannot be spayed, she will remain with Safehaven where she will be given every opportunity to experience everything we can show her in the time she has left. Lacey has done amazingly well despite her heart condition. She continues to thrive and has a very happy life with her Mama Judy and all of her pack mates. Lacey is a happy and comical character who is a daily delight to all of us who love her with all our hearts. 12/09/2021.
