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Does anyone have knowledge of vasovagal syncope?

Last post 05-08-2008 5:08 PM by Whoa Nellie. 5 replies.
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  • 05-08-2008 12:39 PM

    • Whoa Nellie
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 04-24-2008
    • Mississippi, Delta
    • Posts 63
    • Points 120

    Does anyone have knowledge of vasovagal syncope?

    I have a 27 month old chinese crested puff girl who has experienced 2 episodes of fainting after vomiting.She is otherwise an extremely healthy dog. She went totally unresponsive and I have managed the CPR both times to bring her back around. We (vet) did chest xrays, EKG, and blood work this week when it happened (was the 2nd event). All tests were normal and the cardiologist believes is due to a vasovagal response which slows the heart rate and drops the blood pressure dramatically. No treatment available and no physical limitations/restrictions are recommended. The down side is that she has almost died after this, gums totally white, eyes wide open, not breathing, horrible event. She was much slower to recuperate this time, has been sleeping a lot these past 2 days, is eating and drinking with occasional play. My vet has only heard of this in a couple of other dogs, none in her care. I went online but cannot find out much from reputable vet sites about this. It seems humans do better with it and is not usually life threatening as it seems to be for my Lahti. Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of thing? Oh, she vomited after eating grass so might have to restrict her to a courtyard I have with no grass.

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  • 05-08-2008 1:34 PM In reply to Whoa Nellie

    Re: Does anyone have knowledge of vasovagal syncope?

    The only info site that I have found is:

    https://www.vetconnect.com.au/5min/data/01640165.htm

    Filed under:
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  • 05-08-2008 1:58 PM In reply to Whoa Nellie

    Re: Does anyone have knowledge of vasovagal syncope?

    Would you consider a pacemaker?  If so, I suggest that you get a second opinion at a vet school.  The following site describes a study on putting pacemakers in dogs.  Vasovagal syncope was one of the reasons for implantation (8 of the 104 dogs in the study).

    http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/jsap/2007/00000048/00000001/art00003

    A total of 104 dogs underwent pacemaker implantation. Dogs were presented with atrioventricular (AV) block (71), sick sinus syndrome (25) or vasovagal syncope (eight). Age at presentation varied from six months to 13 years with a median age of seven years and two months. The Labrador was the most commonly represented breed (17 cases). All but one dog survived pacemaker implantation, with 93 showing resolution of their clinical signs while 10 dogs showed intermittent residual signs. One-, three- and five-year survival estimates were 86, 65 and 39 per cent, respectively. Major complications after implantation were documented in 15 dogs and three of these led to fatalities. Minor complications were noted in 23 dogs. Sudden death occurred in six dogs three to 55 months following successful pacemaker implantation. ClinicalSignificance:

    Transvenous pacemaker implantation was successful in reducing or eliminating clinical signs in over 90 per cent of dogs with third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block or sick sinus syndrome. In dogs with vasovagal syncope, six of eight dogs had greatly reduced frequency of collapse and two became asymptomatic. Although the procedure was associated with complications, these were rarely life threatening and good survival was documented in the majority of cases.

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  • 05-08-2008 2:22 PM In reply to Whoa Nellie

    Re: Does anyone have knowledge of vasovagal syncope?

    Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine

    Mississippi State University
    College of Veterinary Medicine
    240 Wise Center Drive
    PO Box 6100
    Mississippi State, MS 39762
    (662) 325-3432

    "Our Appointment Desk is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is closed on weekends and holidays. Appointments are required for all patient visits, except for emergencies. The telephone number for appointments is (662) 325-1351. For after-hours, weekend, and holiday emergencies, please call (662) 325-3432."

    Note:  There is actually a city named "Mississippi State" - weird!

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  • 05-08-2008 3:22 PM In reply to Whoa Nellie

    Re: Does anyone have knowledge of vasovagal syncope?

     Sorry I don't have any dog-related info to share, but my sister and I both suffer from it -- mostly when we get clostrophobic. For me it's not a big deal at all. I haven't passed out for about two years, which is probably because I am rarely in crowded places.

    My sister, however, takes regular rides in the ambulance because she seems to always faint on the Metro in the morning. She may have an underlying congenital heart defect (which her doctors were alerted to when her EKG results were consistently off after a VS episode last month). So for my sister the VS could save her life, without those EKGs she would still be walking around thinking it was just VS. (We are still waiting on number of test results to see what she will need.)

    Sending good vibes to your Lahti. I know this is near impossible with dogs, but trying to prevent the vomiting (since that seems to be the trigger) would be what I would focus on, and maybe finding out if smelling salts can help dogs regain consciousness? You could carry them like an epi-pen for emergencies.
     

    It's just a better life with dogs.
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  • 05-08-2008 5:08 PM In reply to Pit_Pointer_Aussie

    • Whoa Nellie
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 04-24-2008
    • Mississippi, Delta
    • Posts 63
    • Points 120

    Re: Does anyone have knowledge of vasovagal syncope?

    Thank you all for your responses. I know a young woman who is attending Vet School at MS State so may try to contact her. She knows Lahti from the vet practice she worked at before getting accepted to MS State. I don't know that a pacemaker would even be considered as she has no cardiac arrythmias or disease. Lahti has no breathing, no heart beat, and white gums after the collapse so is at a definite risk of death if I am not there to intervene. She has taken 2 days to come back around after this second event.

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