Since Charlie is the only pup that we know or ever heard of that has a pacemaker, we were wondering how did you know that this was a possible solution. I mean, I know you didn't just wake up one morning and say to yourself "maybe Charlie isn't feeling well because his heart isn't functioning properly. I think he needs a pacemaker".

What were some of his symptoms that he was showing and did your vet suggest the pacemaker or did you have to do some research on your own and bring it up with him?

Thanks

Hi Jason,

Charlie was fainting and having seizures, and he had a terrible cough/gak. He was sleepy all the time, and just seemed miserable. He was mis-diagnosed at first, because of the cough. But when he failed to respond to the medication, we had to dig deeper. His low heart rate was one of the first tell tale signs. We were very lucky to have a cardiac surgeon so close, and when the following x-rays revealed an extremely enlarged heart, our vet refered us to the surgeon. The surgeon performed an ECG, an ultra sound, and more x-rays. There was no doubt in the diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure at that point. The print out clearly showed Charlie's heart beat was irregular, and that his arteries and ventricles weren't talking to each other. As far as the pacemaker goes, we were definitely in the right place at the right time, with the right cardiac surgeon. A pacemaker over-rides the signals from the brain that tell the heart when to beat. In Charlie's case the signals weren't getting through properly, and instead of his heart pumping blood freely, the valves were closing off restricting the flow of blood. With the implantation of an artificial pacemaker, Charlie's ventricles and atriums now work in sync, the blood is flowing freely through his body, and he is back to demolishing the house
And is it a potential solution? That's going to differ not only from animal to animal, but from person to person. Our circumstances were good. Charlie was otherwise very healthy, and his particular condition was known to respond very well to artificial pacemaking. We have a world-class animal cardiac surgeon nearby, and somebody who passed away recently (who we will be forever grateful too) said in their will that upon their death, they wanted their pacemaker removed from their body and fitted to a dog who has a heart problem. Now if that's not enough, the cost will most likely be the deciding issue for potential candidates. With the surgery, anesthesiologist, x-rays, ECG's, and endless amount of medication, we have spent well over $10,000 AUD on Charlie in the last 3 months. We have been very lucky, and very fortunate on so many levels that we have been able to do this for him. I am not saying that this will be the cost for every surgery instance, that's just what our experience has been. Others may find their instance's to be cheaper, or dearer, it just depends very much on each individual case. In countries like the USA, I would assume this procedure, medication, X-Rays would be a lot more affordable, and devices more readily available. I have also heard that some of the manufacturers of devices will donate them to vetinary science if they have not been implanted by a certain "use by" date, which again may greatly affect the cost of the procedure.

Greg

Late to the party, but other newbies might find this helpful...

Here in Wisconsin (U.S.), I was quoted $2500-$3000 for Rudy's pacemaker. That includes the full workup (ECG, X-rays, blood tests, etc.). We go to the University of Wisconsin Vet Center, which has wonderful and brilliant doctors onstaff, and is a little less expensive than a private hospital. Plus, it's nice to know that Rudy is helping future vets learn, so that's cool. All the doctors seem to like her there, and the words "sweet" and "adorable" are part of her official medical file. If anyone ever disagrees, I can just whip out Rudy's file and say her wonderfulness has been officially confirmed.

Since she already had the workup and regular appointments after the initial diagnosis, they don't have to do it again, so the quote for her upcoming surgery is $2000-$2500. I can update with the actual numbers after Rudy comes home.

My dog needs a pacemaker, but the cost is factor. I live in California. Does anyone have any suggestions? If Wisconsin is a lot cheaper, maybe a trip there and soon is the next step.

Hi Joanne,

New devices do seem to be very expensive. However, I have heard a lot of people have success approaching funeral homes. The devices must be removed before cremation, and not everybody leaves instructions for how they want the devices handled, so donations are not uncommon. With regards to surgery, I hear a lot of universities are performing these procedures now, so it might well be worth approaching your local facility to see if they can assist.

I Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Greg Lee