Pioneering Heart Surgery allows Ben the Terrier to beat Mitral Valve Disease

It looked very unlikely that 12-year-old Ben would pull through after he collapsed on a regular walk and was taken to Taverham Veterinary Hospital in July of last year.

Investigations showed signs of heart failure due to a leaking mitral valve. Mitral valve disease is common in older dogs and often first presents as a heart murmur and then as the leak progresses, dogs can start to show signs of exercise intolerance, fainting or breathlessness. 

Ben always had such a positive demeanour but this was such a serious diagnosis that he would need immediate treatment to ensure he could continue to lead a happy life. 

The brave Terrier was placed on treatment with medication to improve the heart contractility and to remove the fluid from his lungs. Ben did respond initially to medical management, but unfortunately a few months later he showed signs of increased breathing rate and effort again. 

He also had notably less energy and his appetite started to reduce causing him to lose weight. Repeat echocardiography showed severe heart enlargement and a torrential leak of blood through his diseased heart valve. 

Ben was placed on the waiting list for a mitral valve repair at the Queen Mother Veterinary School in London and despite requiring incredibly dedicated home care as well as hospitalisation and intensive treatment at Taverham Vets on several occasions, he managed to keep going until the date of his surgery. 

The surgery, which is open heart surgery requiring a cardiac bypass, had only been recently made available for veterinary patients, allowing Ben to benefit from a pioneering technique in the veterinary field. Ben underwent a successful repair and made an amazing recovery. 

Tom Robertson MA VetMB CertVDI CertVC MRCVS, an Advanced Practitioner in Diagnostic Imaging and Cardiology who originally treated Ben said:

“Ben made an amazing recovery after his pioneering heart surgery and despite a lot of hurdles he was able to pull through. I have many favourite patients, but 12-year-old Ben is definitely one of them. He is always friendly and every time I have met him, he has tried his best to be happy even when he is feeling poorly. He has shown you are never too old to enjoy a squeaky toy!”

Almost a year after his original diagnosis, Ben received a repeat heart scan, which showed that his heart had reduced markedly in size. This meant that Ben could be weaned off his medication. 

Since then, Ben has regained all his previous energy, his appetite has returned and it has given him a second chance at life, and plenty more opportunities to play with his squeaky toy.