Holly Had a Hole in Her Heart
Sometimes, puppies come to Small Paws Rescue with holes in their hearts.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is a congenital heart defect in dogs. Before a puppy is born, it gets it’s oxygen from mom. The fetal heart pumps blood, but the blood is not oxygenated by the fetal lungs so there is an opening called the Ductus Arteriosus that bypasses the lung. After the puppy is born and starts breathing on its own, the Ductus Arteriosus is supposed to close. And when it doesn’t, it causes a heart murmur.
Puppies with PDA heart murmurs don’t live very long. As of the spring of 2011, Small Paws has paid for 77 puppy mill Bichons with PDA heart murmurs to have life-saving surgery to close the holes in their hearts.
Read more about how the Fluffs who’s hearts have been repaired.
Here’s a video from Holly Sweet Small Paws (and her mom, Glennda), who–in 2006–was the 36th puppy to receive PDA surgery.
Thanks to Glennda for sharing Holly’s video.
Small Paws saves dogs! You can help–donate some bucks, save some Fluffs!
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