Midas is home..with a heart condition....

[Connie03062]

He was such a good boy on the plane..never made a peep..

Ziggy is not too crazy about him but Cayenne is mothering him so all is ok.

Unfortunately he did not get a clean bill of health from my vet. My vet detected a grade II murmur so I took him to a cardiologist at Tufts and he determined from his echocardiogram that he has a condition called pulminary stenosis and could require surgery if a couple of months if it gets any worse.

The breeder was very good about it...refunded my purchase price, and said I could either keep him or return him. Choice was mine. She also offered me another pup from her next litter...

I'm keeping my Midas....he's too cute to give back.

Any one out there had a bully with this condition??..

 

[cali~jenn]

Adorable!!!! I will keep my fingers crossed it is one of those little miracles that are gone suddenly when you take him to his next vets visit.

 

[TessaAndSamson]

What a cute picture! I don't know anything about the condition but I just wanted to say I'm sorry and wish you and Midas the best!

 

[LisaRN]

Oh my!! Prayers and Pixie Dust that Midas does well without any interventions at all!!! (insert praying smilie here!)

 

[Bulldogg]

One of my puppies had a murmur and it went away by the next visit. He explained that it was an "innocent murmur" and that actually tons of puppies are born with them, they just usually go away by 8 weeks of age. Took my pup 12 weeks before it was gone.

 

[Telly03]

He is a beatiful pup, I would have made the same decision.

Here is a page that had a good description of Pulminary Stenosis: http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/Diseases/cardiovascular diseases/pulmonicstenosis.htm

What is pulmonic stenosis?

As part of normal circulation in the body, the right side of the heart (the right ventricle) pumps blood to the lungs to receive oxygen. The oxygenated blood goes back to the left side of the heart from which it is pumped out to the rest of the body.

Blood flows from the right ventricle of the heart through the pulmonic valve into the pulmonary artery and thence to the lungs. With pulmonic stenosis, there is partial obstruction of normal blood flow, most commonly due to a malformation of the pulmonic valve ("pulmonic valve dysplasia") but the abnormality may be immediately above or below the valve as well.

The effect of this partial obstruction is to force the heart to work harder to pump blood to the lungs. The extent to which a dog will be affected depends on the degree of narrowing (stenosis) of the valve area. With severe stenosis the dog will likely develop congestive heart failure due to the increased workload of the heart.


What breeds are affected by pulmonic stenosis?

Pulmonic stenosis is one of the most common congenital heart defects in all species. There is a breed predisposition in the following breeds of dog:

The English bulldog and the mastiff are at most risk for pulmonic stenosis. In English bulldogs, pulmonic stenosis occurs commonly with an abnormal left main coronary artery branch, arising from a single right coronary artery. In this breed the condition is more common in males.


What does pulmonic stenosis mean to your dog & you?

In its milder forms, the slight thickening of the pulmonary valve will cause minimal or no obstruction and your dog will not be affected. However with more severe thickening of the valve, the obstruction to blood flow from the right side of the heart will cause varying degrees of heart damage which worsens with age. With moderate-to-severe pulmonic stenosis, your dog may experience signs associated with low cardiac output and/or right-sided heart failure, such as respiratory difficulties, fainting, tiring with exercise, abnormal cardiac rhythms, abdominal swelling due to an enlarged liver or the accumulation of fluid because of failing circulation, or sudden death.

Based on your dog's physical examination and diagnostic tests such as chest x-rays and an electrocardiogram, your veterinarian will discuss with you the severity of the pulmonic stenosis. If there are significant changes evident, he or she will suggest further tests to determine the pressure gradient across the pulmonic valve. (Normally there is no pressure difference between the right ventricle of the heart, and the pulmonary artery to the lungs.) Where there is a pronounced pressure gradient, surgery to correct the stenosis should be considered.


Breeding advice

Affected individuals and their parents should not be used for breeding. Siblings should only be used after careful screening. If any affected offspring are born, breeding of the parents should be discontinued.

 

[mammyglicks]

Great for the breeder to offer to let you keep him, all the ones I've contacted finding my little guy, you have to give them back. Are you going to take a puppy from the next litter??? Free bully, lol. Midas and the other two are soooo precious. How did you carry him on the plane?

I sure hope all goes ok with the little guy. Sounds like he couldn't be in a better home!

 

[Connie03062]

She is a wonderful breeder...I've gotten all 3 of my current bullies from her. Ziggy was not doing well in the show ring so she gave him to me. Cayenne is too shy for the show ring, she had 2 litters and each time there were water puppies so she decided not to breed or show her so she gave her to me also...

I had an airline approved soft sided travel bag that fit under the seat for him. He rode in the cabin with me.

I will probably pass on another puppy and focus on Midas. He has to go back to Tufts in August for another echocardiogram to see if his condition has progressed. If his condition is the same they won't do anything other than every 6 months an echocardiogram. If it's worse they will need to schedule surgery.

Unfortunately I've spoken to 4 different vets and this is not like an innocent puppy murmur...it will not go away on it's own.

They do a surgery simialar to angioplasty...they insert a balloon and try and widen the opening from the heart to the lungs to allow the blood to flow better. Without surgery it will be only a matter of time before he goes into heart failure..

Connie, Ziggy, Cayenne and Midas

 

[cali~jenn]

I am so sorry, that has to be heart breaking for you. I do believe in miracles tho and will still hope that somehow the next check up will be good news but if not it sounds like you at least have an idea of what to do and he is in good hands with you.