Cardiovascular surgeon Luis Vélez explains that ten-year-old Candy had to be operated on because she suffered from bradycardia and heart problems.
Veterinarian María Adelaida Mejía adds that Candy’s specific diagnosis is “third-degree atrioventricular block. This means there is no impulse to contract the ventricles.” Based on this, a team of 15 human and veterinary doctors joined the process.
“Thoracotomy (opening the chest) implants a bipolar electrode that connects to a power source to improve the heart rhythm. In other words, they open the animal’s chest and install a pacemaker. This improves the heart rate.
In this sense, the function of a pacemaker is to stimulate the heart so that it has the correct rhythm. In this way, the dog can carry out its daily activities: eat, be active, etc.
Thanks to this operation, they hope that the ten-year-old dog “will no longer faint and will be able to lead a normal life”.
Owners of Candy
Candy’s owners rescued her in 2018. Once they got her, they noticed her health problems. So they took her to the vet to make sure the dog could live longer.
“We are happy because we know Candy can live another five years. She is a happy dog. Plus we have other dogs waiting for her and we know she still has plenty of time to enjoy life.
Pets also often suffer from heart problems. Therefore, it is possible to equip them with a pacemaker, which will provide them with several more years of life.
The first person to receive this device was the cat Romeo, whose heart was “electrically stimulated” by the device. This allowed him to live a few more years.
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