Q. I read something about dogs getting pacemakers. Can you tell me why?
A. Yes you did read about people donating used pacemakers for dogs. The first question to answer is why would a dog need a pacemaker? Dogs suffer from many types of heart disease. Most of these conditions are treated with medication. There is a small pool of conditions that require intervention by minimally invasive surgery. Pacemakers are in that category.
Slow heart rates detected at your companion’s annual health exam or symptoms of being weak or collapsing causing you to take your friend to the veterinarian are clues that a pacemaker may be warranted. The slow heart rate is called bradycardia. It occurs mostly in middle age to older dogs. They develop scarring or degeneration in the heart, which upsets the normal electrical pathways. These pathways keep the heart beating in a rhythmic pattern so blood flows easily from the heart through the body. If this condition goes untreated, your dog will become weaker, won’t be able to exercise, may collapse (called syncope), and even die. The heart will be working harder and harder to do its job until it fails.
Pacemakers have been used in people since the 1960s and in dogs since 1980s. They are little generators containing the battery and a microcomputer. There is an insulated electrical wire with an electrode at one end. This lead connects the generator to the heart. The pacemaker does not take over the job of constantly regulating the heartbeat. Instead, it monitors the heart rate. When it drops below an acceptable rate, it will send a low electrical stimulus causing the heart to correct the rate.
The procedure for placing the pacemaker in the dog is straight forward. The risk comes from the anesthesia. Today there are many drugs used to reduce this risk to the patient. Because the pacemaker is under the skin in the neck, guardians are to use a harness when walking Fido. The collar can be used to hold tags but never to control or pull the dog. For the first month, care must be taken not to cause trauma to the neck, no jumping on and off furniture, no racing up and down stairs or outside, and no rough housing with other canine friends. This will be difficult since the dog will feel so much better. Rechecks are usually every six months. Pacemakers run on batteries that last five to ten years. Replacing batteries is rare in dogs since they are older when they get one. The newer pacemakers are made so there is little to no interference if near any electronic devices.
Pacemakers can be bought new from veterinary specific companies who make generators and leads, but these are very expensive, and most cardiologists use donated units. The pacemaker used in a dog is the same as in a human. These devices are donated by manufacturers with older models or outdated units. People will donate them from their deceased loved ones, human or canine. If someone is upgrading his pacemaker to a newer model, he can donate his old one. Donations lower the cost to the guardian, whose dog is in need of one. AARP has information on how to donate a pacemaker. Local veterinary schools, such as Tufts, would be another source for information on donating.
Judith K. Herman, DVM, CVH
Animal Wellness Center
Augusta, Maine
www.mainehomeopahticvet.com
