Rescue puppy to undergo life-saving heart surgery
Courtesy Bridge to Home Animal Rescue
Pig Pen is a nearly 5-month-old pit bull-mix rescue puppy with a rare heart condition. Bridge to Home Animal Rescue has coordinated surgery to save the puppy’s life.
Courtesy Bridge to Home Animal Rescue
Pig Pen, a rescue puppy who is undergoing life-saving surgery next week, naps following a treatment at MedVet Pittsburgh in McMurray.
Courtesy Bridge to Home Animal Rescue
Mike and Carolyn Stanko, who are fostering Pig Pen, stand outside of MedVet Columbus, where the rescue puppy will be undergoing a rare surgery.
courtesy Bridge to Home Animal Rescue
Pig Pen, a Bridge to Home Animal Rescue puppy, is set to undergo surgery at MedVet Columbus on Tuesday.
A veterinary team from MedVet Columbus will join forces on Monday to save the life of a rescue puppy suffering from a rare heart condition.
Pig Pen, a 4-month-old pit bull mix rescued by Bridge to Home Animal Rescue in Eighty Four, is a happy and playful pup.
But Pig Pen was born with a heart deformity called Cor triatriatum dexter: an abnormal membrane is obstructing blood flow to his heart.
The only reason Pig Pen is alive is that his body contains tiny veins – which other dogs don’t have – “that act like little detours,” according to his foster parent, Michael Stanko.
If untreated, the heart condition will result in fatal congestive heart failure.
On Tuesday, Pig Pen will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to undergo a life-saving balloon catheterization.
“He’s the happiest little pup,” said Stanko, a physical therapist who has cared for other foster puppies with serious health issues, including Gia, a German shepherd with deformed legs. He also takes in older and bigger rescue dogs.
But Pig Pen’s medical condition causes the little guy to tire easily.
Stanko said the heart blockage causes blood to back up in Pig Pen’s body. It gets diverted into his liver and abdominal cavity, causing bloating.
Every week, Stanko takes Pig Pen to MedVet Pittsburgh in McMurray to get his stomach drained – as much as 2 liters – because of the fluid buildup.
The procedure is what’s keeping him alive until he is big enough have the surgery.
“When fluid builds up, he is heavy and fat, and by the end of the week he’s like a little fat guy who can’t move. When he gets drained, he’s a wild man and ready to play,” Stanko said.
The procedure, though, isn’t cheap. It costs about $400 each time Pig Pen’s fluids are drained.
Tracey Crompton, director of Bridge to Home Animal Rescue, said she met Pig Pen when the shelter took in a litter of puppies from West Virginia that were named after the Peanuts gang.
Another BTHAR foster parent cared for Pig Pen’s siblings until they were adopted, while Stanko assumed care for Pig Pen.
Crompton said she feels a sense of responsibility for taking care of Pig Pen, and then finding him a home.
“Dogs like Pig Pen come to us for a reason, and it’s our responsibility to take care of all of them no matter what it takes, whether it’s just to find a home or to help them through a medical issue,” said Crompton. “He is so resilient. He doesn’t know anything is wrong with him. We have so much invested in him emotionally.”
The MedVet Columbus team consulted with veterinarians across the country to determine which surgery to pursue.
They ruled out other procedures, including open heart surgery to resolve the blockage – a procedure that costs about $60,000 – before opting for balloon catheterization.
It is a procedure that has only been reported being completed a handful of times, said Dr. Brent Aona, who is leading the operation.
Aona said the team will insert several catheters to break the blockage, and then place a stent across the membrane to allow blood flow.
Pig Pen should be able to go home a day after the surgery.
“He’s a great pup with a lot of spunk and a lot of life ahead of him,” said Aona. “We’re hopeful that he’ll have a positive outcome, but because of how infrequently it’s been performed, we want to be very realistic.”
The procedure will cost approximately $10,000, Stanko said.
“He’s such a good little guy. He reminds me of Gia – He’s always happy, and he’s more mature for his age,” said Stanko.
Stanko is optimistic about the success of the procedure.
“If it works, Pig Pen will be a normal dog and live a normal life,” said Stanko. “We’ve just gotta clear the traffic jam.”
Stanko has grown attached to Pig Pen.
“This is important to me,” said Stanko. “He’s been in a holding pattern, getting the fluid drained, until he can have this surgery. I want him to be able to enjoy life to the fullest.”
Editor’s note: Bridge to Home Animal Rescue is accepting applications to adopt Pig Pen. Crompton asks potential adoptive parents to be aware of Pig Pen’s medical history before applying. Please visit the website at bridgetohome84.org.