I started my day shadowing a vet who had taken Bernie’s case – a Bichon Frise mix with Cardio Hemangiosarcoma. In other words, a very large tumor (~5cm) was attached near the right atrium of Bernie’s heart and inside the pericardial sac (sac surrounding the heart). The tumor was leaking blood into the sac, causing it to inflate significantly. The pressure of the blood on the heart combined with the size of the tumor made it difficult for Bernie’s heart to contract regularly. The result was that Bernie had reduced blood flow to other areas of his body, which was evident because of his very light-colored gums (the pressure on the heart and subsequent reduced blood flow is called cardiac tamponade).
In an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure on Bernie’s heart, I observed a procedure called a chest tap (pericardiocentesis), in which a needle is inserted between the ribs and into the pericardial sac and the excess fluid is drawn out. Throughout the procedure, we monitored Bernie’s ECG to watch out for an arrhythmia.
After the procedure, Bernie was brought to the ICU, and he should be able to return to his family tonight.
(Update 5/31: Bernie was able to go home and is still doing well!)
Left: a golden retriever receiving pericardiocentesis
Right: echocardiogram of heart with fluids inside pericardial sac