Angel’s rescue journey began at Bastrop Animal Control in Texas. A medical examination revealed a concerning heart murmur. Out of six, it was a grade five murmur, which put her at risk of heart failure. Due to her urgent health condition, she was approved to be pulled and relocated to Austin Humane for care.

Further medical investigation discovered Angel’s heart murmur was a result of a congenital heart defect called Pulmonic Stenosis (PS). With PS, the pulmonic valve is narrowed, causing the right ventricle to over-compensate, and can result in excessive heart muscle thickening, immobilizing the pulmonic valve leaflets. All this to say that if left untreated, Angel’s heart would be at risk of failing.

Angel was setup with a consultation at CVCA Cardiac Care for Pets. She was seen by a veterinary cardiologist, who recommended that due to the severity of her case, she be transferred to Texas A&M Veterinary School Hospital for advanced care. It was there that she had an angiogram, a scan that shows blood flow, to evaluate her heart. Based off the scans, the veterinary team recommended she have a balloon valvuloplasty to correct her heart defect. During this procedure a balloon is inflated in the area of stenosis, widening the valve and improving blood flow.

Post-surgery, Angel will require medication twice daily for the rest of her life. She has spent her recovery period in a wonderful foster home, who had the following to say about her:

“Angel is the perfect name for this sweet lady! She got along well with my dog, a male chihuahua of similar size. They greeted each other with instant tail wags. I think she does well having another dog around to follow.”

While her cardiac problems were the most pressing of her medical issues, vets also found Angel had corneal opacities in both eyes, making her eyes cloudy. She was prescribed specialized serum eye drops, and her eyes have noticeably improved!

The vets at Texas A&M recommended she be spayed one month after surgery because her heart could not handle pregnancy. She has a spay procedure scheduled for May 31, after which she will be available for adoption! We will of course keep everyone pupdated on her journey.