Malaysia’s First Successful V-Clamp Surgery In a Dog
On 8th December 2024, our team performed Malaysia’s first successful V-clamp surgery on a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The dog, named Oscar, had been diagnosed with advanced-stage B2 myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in June 2024. Since his diagnosis, he had been taking pimobendan, benazepril, and spironolactone to manage the disease. Understanding the severity of […]
Trans-Esophageal Echocardiography (TEE)
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a type of heart ultrasound that gives veterinarians or cardiologists a very detailed view of a pet’s heart. Unlike regular heart ultrasounds, where the probe is placed on the chest, TEE involves inserting a small probe into the pet’s esophagus (the tube connecting the throat and stomach). This enables the examiners […]
Thank You
31st August 2024 marks five years since I returned to Malaysia in 2019 after completing my PhD studies, and one year since establishing my main practice in Kota Damansara. As I reflect on this journey, my heart is filled with deep gratitude for the incredible people who have stood by me, offering their unwavering support […]
Successful heartworm removal surgery
Recently, our team performed surgery to remove heartworms from a local dog. The 12-year-old dog presented with fainting on exertion (syncope), which was attributable to severe pulmonary hypertension (increased lung pressure). Pulmonary hypertension is a common condition secondary to heartworm disease. Our challenges remained: Mitigation: Using echocardiography and fluoroscopy, we removed […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Common dog breeds diagnosed with heart failure due to MMVD by Shinzō
If you’re wondering, in our clinic, what the common dog breeds are that succumbed to heart failure due to myxomatous mitral valve disease, this graph explains it all. In a total of 61 dogs, Poodle is the most represented (33%), followed by Miniature Schnauzer (16%), Shih Tzu (11%), and Pomeranian (8%). (Please note that this […]
