A new lease of life for little Mertle

Mertle, a little Chihuahua of less then one pound, was about 2 months old at the time she was referred to our cardiology service. The owner was concerned about her poor growth and how quiet she was. The referring veterinary surgeon had noticed a loud heart murmur.

When I listened to Mertle’s chest I could not hear any individual heart beats. There was only a continuous noise almost like a locomotive. This type of murmur is caused by one of the vessels not closing that should close shortly after birth. Blood was flowing in the wrong direction and Mertle did not have enough blood with oxygen going through her body. This reduced her growth and reduced her ability to play.