JackieMaya Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 Dog gets Medtronic defibrillator like Cheney's Associated Press Published May 5, 2003 FIB06 PULLMAN, Wash. -- Honus the dog lacked that old spark, and the solution was a heart defibrillator. Doctors at Washington State University's veterinary hospital operated on the canine Thursday to insert the device, similar to the one that regulates the heart of Vice President Dick Cheney. The $30,000 operation was a success, with the device regulating the heartbeat of the 2-year-old dog, named for baseball player Honus Wagner. ``Now Honus is our most expensive piece of technology,'' said owner Bryan MacDonald. ``He's worth more than our computer.'' Honus was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia, in which the lower ventricles of the heart beat abnormally and can trigger a heart attack. It caused him to be weak and vomit. Until now, the only treatment was to bring Honus to the hospital for lidocaine shots. His attacks grew so frequent, the MacDonalds had to come to the emergency room every two weeks. The metal unit, the size of a 9-volt battery, can sense when the heart's rhythm changes. If the beats grow irregular, the device sends out a shock, resetting the heart at a normal rate. The device isn't used much on dogs because of the cost of the unit and the surgery. In Honus' case, Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic Inc. agreed to donate the $15,000 defibrillator as well as two $6,000 leads. The MacDonalds will pay for a portion of the $2,500 surgery and hospital costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_nea Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 I think its great that someone is willing to pay that much money for their dog! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abker17 Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 [quote]I think its great that someone is willing to pay that much money for their dog! [/quote] I very much agree! :D What a happy story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellieangel Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 Yeah me too ! so would I if I had the means to do it !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.