A happy future for three puppies

From having no real long-term survival to a completely normal future; the surgery was a big success.

A successful run of cardiac surgery at the flagship Blue Cross hospital in Victoria has assured three poorly puppies of a long, medication-free future. All three pups previously suffered from a heart condition that made it unlikely they would reach their first birthdays.

On Monday 22 August, the veterinary team achieved their third successful corrective cardiac surgery on a puppy this year. Jeri (pictured), a 12-week-old spaniel, is recovering brilliantly. Tyler and Jem, who were aged 9 months and 12 weeks respectively at the time of surgery, were operated on earlier this year and have also benefited enormously from the skills of the veterinary team.

The surgery was needed to correct abnormal plumbing between the aorta and pulmonary artery. Jess Gower, senior veterinary surgeon at Victoria hospital, said: “These surgeries are a particular delight because in correcting the blood flow from and around the heart, we take a puppy from having no long-term survival, to having a completely normal future. The surgery doesn't even cost us much except in team skills. Without surgery they would all be expected to die within a year as their heart would fail to cope with the abnormal plumbing. All puppies were already on cardiac medication to support a failing heart. Each puppy has now come completely off cardiac medication on the day after surgical correction.”