WSU touts landmark canine heart surgery

Pullman, Wash.-Lapping up media attention to his heart's content, a four-legged patient at Washington State University (WSU) is the nation's first canine to receive a heart defibrillator.

WSU veterinary cardiologist Dr. Lynne Nelson and cardiology residentDr. Sunshine Lahmers successfully performed the first surgery to place animplantable cardiac defibrillator in a canine clinical patient in earlyMay.

"WSU's veterinary community is proud to have been part of this firstever surgical procedure for the benefit of Honus, our students, and theveterinary profession," Dr. Warwick Bayly, dean of the college, says.

"This case represented a world-class teaching opportunity."

The $30,000 device and wires were donated by Medtronic, Inc., a Minneapolis-basedmanufacturer of implantable medical devices. The pet's owner and the collegewill cover the $2,500 cost for the surgery and attendant services.

Since the groundbreaking surgery, school officials report that Honus,a 2-year-old male Boxer, has had a near perfect recovery. His only job nowis handling the media.

Honus' case has attracted the likes of CBS television's "The EarlyShow," and ABC television's "Good Morning America." In addition,the school has received inquiries from People magazine, CNN, Inside Edition,The New York Post, In Touch Weekly, The National Enquirer, The NationalExaminer and British newspapers.

The school selected Honus as a candidate after he was brought to thehospital and treated for a rapid heart rate. The episodes of rapid heartrate reccurred and became progressively harder for the dog to tolerate.He frequently became lethargic and temporarily lost some muscle control.He also vomited during some episodes.Honus was diagnosed with a geneticabnormality causing the erratic heartbeat condition known as Boxer cardiomyopathy.

If the erratic beats occur infrequently and singly the dog will probablynot have symptoms of heart disease. If the erratic beats occur in sequence,then weakness, collapse or sudden death may result.