Successful heartworm removal surgery
Recently, our team performed surgery to remove heartworms from a local dog. When is heartworm removal by surgery indicated? When heartworms have migrated downstream into the right atrium and right ventricle, causing obstruction, surgery to remove the worms is recommended. If heartworms are present in the pulmonary artery, their removal is technically challenging and […]
About Heartworm Disease in Dogs
My dog is old, so I stopped giving heartworm prevention. Dr Anthony: Not often, but occasionally, I smirk helplessly when my clients say that they have stopped giving heartworm prevention to their old dogs. As we all know, heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. Being old does not mean that these blood-sucking insects will spare […]
The Story of Vin Vin
Vin Vin is a miniature schnauzer. He was missing for a few months. When he was found by his owner, he was given heartworm preventive medication. Later, he showed difficulty breathing and coughing. His primary veterinarian referred him to me for further investigation. Chest X-rays, echocardiography, blood tests, and a heartworm test were performed. The […]
The story of Ang Pao
Ang Pao was merely 13 weeks old during the first examination, and she weighed only 1.3 kilograms. She was experiencing difficulty breathing due to pulmonary edema. After the examination, it was discovered that she had patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), one of the congenital heart diseases. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a relatively common congenital heart […]
Facts about Diuretics
Diuretics are also known as “water pills” and are used to treat pulmonary edema (lung congestion) caused by heart failure. In Malaysia, the common diuretic is “furosemide.” In recent years, “torasemide” has also begun to attract the attention of veterinarians. Furosemide has a duration of action of about 6 hours in the body and needs […]
Holter versus ECG
Holter’s monitoring and electrocardiogram (ECG) both record the heart’s electrical activity. However, unlike a standard ECG, the Holter’s monitor can continuously record the pet’s heart’s electrical activity for an extended period (24-48 hours). In contrast, a standard ECG is generally used to record the heart’s electrical activity for a few minutes. Both are used to […]
Understanding MMVD and treatments in layman’s terms
MMVD stands for Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease, also known as degenerative mitral valve disease. The exact cause of MMVD is still unknown, but we do know that it commonly affects small to medium breed dogs. Certain breeds, such as Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Dachshunds, and Chihuahuas, can develop MMVD at a younger age, suggesting a […]
V-clamp surgery training for MMVD
Great news for all dog owners in Malaysia! Our team underwent intensive training on mitral valve clamp surgery in China. This procedure involves minimally invasive surgery that doesn’t require a bypass machine or stopping the heart, aiming to reduce the severity of mitral regurgitation. After the surgery, the dogs may not require any cardiac medications. […]
Prevalence of heart failure among different common dog breeds
The graph below depicts the prevalence of heart failure due to MMVD among different dog breeds at Shinzō Clinic. Prevalence refers to the number of dogs within each breed examined by us that were found to succumb to heart failure. Breeds such as the miniature pinscher, chihuahua, and cavalier King Charles spaniel are the top […]
Dog breeds by percentage at Shinzō
This pie chart illustrates the distribution of dog breeds by percentage, which were presented for cardiac evaluation at our clinic. A total of 1003 dogs were seen by us. The most common breed is the Poodle, followed by the Shih Tzu, Pomeranian, and Miniature Schnauzer. Please note that not all dogs had heart disease. This […]
