Pacemaker for Cats!

Surgeons at the University of Melbourne’s Veterinary Clinic and Hospital have commenced feline pacemaker operations, a probable first for Victoria.

Heidi, the 15-year-old domestic shorthaired cat experienced fainting spells for approximately 4 months. Blood tests and x-rays showed no abnormalities, so Heidi was referred to Dr Carolyn O’Brien, the only registered cat specialist in Victoria, and Senior Registrar in Small Animal Medicine at the University of Melbourne Vet Clinic and Hospital.

A 24-hour ECG revealed that Heidi’s heart stopped beating for short periods (arrhythmia), reducing the amount of blood flowing to the body and resulting in her fainting. As there is no medication to prevent the condition, and the risk of sudden death from an arrhythmic episode is significant, Dr O’Brien recommended fitting a pacemaker.

Dr Glenn Edwards fitted the pacemaker in a 2 hour-long operation. A cat needs a pacemaker that is especially small, so a paediatric unit was fitted between Heidi’s abdominal muscles, with wires leading through the diaphragm, directly into the heart.

When the arrhythmia occurs, the pacemaker gives a little electrical stimulus, which keeps the heart beating.

Dogs have been fitted with pacemakers for around 15 years now, but fitting a pacemaker is still a rare operation for cats, especially in Australia.

Heidi is now doing well and is back at home free of her fainting episodes