I have a Foxfold German Shepherd bitch aged 9 months, she has this genetic heart problem and needs an operation very soon or she will die. I could not let her endure open heart surgery, so hopefully she can have key-hole surgery. I am totally devastated as I love her so much. Has anyone else experienced this problem, who could give me any advice?

Foxfold, isn't this the kennel people were reccomending a short while back?...

Thanks for replying Miss Tiggywig, Foxfold puppies are the ones recommended previously. My beautiful 9 month old bitch who I adore and couldn't live without, has a genetic heart problem and needs an operation to insert a plug into a duct in her heart. The key-hole operation will cost £3,000, and all the tests so far have cost £700. I do not yet know if the Insurance will pay, but failing that I will get the money together somehow and pay for it myself. I just could not let her die. 3 of my friends also bought puppies from the same litter and they are now having them checked.

Our lab x was diagnosed with a PDA at 10 weeks, so we did a lot of research into the surgery, and what would happen if she didn't have it. Because it isn't the heart itself that is affected, the surgical procedure is relatively simple, and involves ligation (tying off) of the abnormal blood vessel which connects the aorta to the pulmonary artery. The mortality rate is relatively low, given the nature of the operation, and the success rate is high if the dog is young and healthy and has not yet developed the symptoms of heart failure. The operation costs about £1000, and we found we were not covered by insurance because the condition was pre-existing. If you don't have the operation, the dog will eventually develop congenital heart failure, but the onset and the symptoms can be managed with diet and drugs to maintain the quality of life for as long as possible. I have a pile of links and papers at home (still, I think), if you're interested I'll post a few this pm if I can find them.

Thanks for your reply Jenna, I think my bitch, Foxfold Kameo must have something a bit different to yours, as she has got to have a mushroomed shaped plug fitted into a duct in her heart, to stop the flow of blood getting to where it should not. She is taking medication for congestive heart failure at the moment but without the op her lifespan would be about 18 months and she would gradually become lethargic and extremely ill. But if you can think of anything at all to tell me, please do I am so heartbroken myself.

I came across some recent papers describing the use of balloons or plugs for occlusion of PDA, where the device is inserted through a blood vessel, guided to the correct location, and then 'opened up' to block the abnormal blood flow. Is this the kind of procedure you are considering? The reports I have seen seem to indicate that this is much safer (obviously, I suppose, given that they don't need to open the chest), and the recovery period is much shorter. The only arguments against using this technique rather than surgical ligation tend to be related to the cost. But if it had been necessary, I would not have hesitated to have the surgery for Minx, given that without treatment, once heart failure develops, the life span is going to be very limited. Studies of the success/mortality rate of surgical ligation show that the success rate is around 95%, and the mortality rate is 3-5%, mostly due to bleeding or heart failure during surgery, or complications due to the 'invasiveness' of the procedure. With the keyhole option, you'd miss out most of that, and I guess there'd also be no chance of recanalisation of the ductus (which accounts for the remaining failures of surgical ligation, from what I remember). Are you insured? Not certain of the situation, but if the heart problem was not spotted and didn't present symptoms in your bitch until recently, you may be covered? Is your breeder willing to help out? The manner of inheritance of PDA is not at all well understood, but apparently it is quite common in GSD's (our Minx is part GSD).

Thanks yet again Jenna, for all your help. The keyhole surgery is alot kinder to the dog as you can imagine, they only have to do a little nick in the groin. Whereas open heart surgery does not bear thinking about as they cut them apparently right round their body, and ooooh all those stitches afterwards. It is a matter of cost but the Insurance Company have agreed to pay, as the condition has only just been detected,( they will pay up to £4,000 in a 12 month period), so most of that money will have been used on the op and the tests done before. I will keep you posted of her health after the op on April 1st, and the information may be useful to someone else in the same circumstances.

Will be keeping my fingers crossed for you next week Christopher, let us know how it goes. The good thing is, it's an 'instant cure', so once your bitch is back on her feet, she'll feel much better, and be able to live a normal life again! Good luck for Tuesday!

Thanks for your continued support Jenna, it is greatly appreciated. I shall just be glad when Tuesday comes now, Sasha will probably come home on Thursday. She was not well yesterday, but I think she might have overdone it the day before, it was hot as well. She is better today, as cheeky as ever, but will let you know next week how she goes on. If you would like to see a picture of her, she is pet of the week on www.vet2pet.co.uk Thanks again

Glad to say that Sasha had her heart operation this morning, and so far all is going well. She got to the Cardiorespiratory Hospital in Kenilworth at 9am, and at 1.45pm the surgeon had phoned to say that it was all over and she had come round from the anaesthetic and was resting. I rang again at 5pm and they were just about to give her a little walk outside. All being well she can come home on Thursday morning, and go to the Vets to have her stitches removed in 7 days time. What a relief, she has been quite poorly the last few days. Let you know more later.

Hope she continues well. Keep smiling :)

That's good news! Will keep my fingers crossed for you until she makes a full recovery!

Sasha came home today and she is a different dog already, full of beans and bounce, and mischief. She has just two stitches in her groin which can removed by my local vet. The heart surgeon called her the bionic dog, and showed me the x-rays they had taken during surgery to fit the plug into the duct. They scanned her before discharge, and the operation was 100% successful in that she has no abnormal flow at all in the duct now. They are really wonderful, clever people and I can't thank them enough for saving Sasha's life. She has to go back in two months time for a check up. She must have felt so poorly these last few weeks, she had also lost 3kilograms in weight in 3 weeks.

That's fantastic!! If they're being naughty, they're feeling okay (just like children really!)

Hope it all continues well. :)

Thanks for your reply Jeangenie, she is a lot better now. There is an update of her with picture on www.vet2pet.co.uk

Had a look - she's beautiful! And doesn't she look well? :)