Winter 2009 ⢠V ol. 43 No. 4 - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA
Winter 2009 ⢠V ol. 43 No. 4 - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA
Winter 2009 ⢠V ol. 43 No. 4 - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Photo: Laura Coburn<br />
A Resilient<br />
Heart:<br />
Janet’s<br />
Story of<br />
Recovery<br />
Cheryl, an Animal Care staff<br />
member, provides Janet with some<br />
much needed positive h<strong>and</strong>ling at<br />
the <strong>Humane</strong> <strong>Society</strong>’s shelter.<br />
Inset heart photo: Five weeks after<br />
surgery, Janet was on the mend<br />
<strong>and</strong> ready for a new home.<br />
Resilient as she is adorable, Janet was born on May 15,<br />
<strong>2009</strong>. When she first came to the <strong>San</strong> <strong>Diego</strong> <strong>Humane</strong><br />
<strong>Society</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>SPCA</strong>, this German Shepherd mix seemed like<br />
most puppies her age, full of vibrant joy <strong>and</strong> playfulness.<br />
When she transitioned from nursing to eating s<strong>ol</strong>id food, however, it<br />
became clear that Janet was very different. After just a few weeks in<br />
the world, she was battling for her life.<br />
<strong>Humane</strong> <strong>Society</strong> veterinarians discovered that Janet was born with Vascular Ring Anomalies,<br />
or malformations of the vessels that leave <strong>and</strong> return to the heart. She suffered from a lifethreatening<br />
abnormality called Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA), where a remnant b<strong>and</strong><br />
of tissue from the heart crosses over the esophagus <strong>and</strong> pinches it off deep within the chest.<br />
As a result, food could not pass beyond this “pinch.” The food quickly filled up her esophagus,<br />
stretching it beyond its normal limitations <strong>and</strong> causing permanent tissue damage. Every time<br />
Janet ate, she would regurgitate, <strong>and</strong> it rapidly became impossible to meet her nutritional needs.<br />
On top of everything, while diagnostic work was being performed to determine the extent of her<br />
condition, Janet developed a severe case of pneumonia.<br />
To provide Janet with the best possible chance at survival, the <strong>San</strong> <strong>Diego</strong> <strong>Humane</strong> <strong>Society</strong><br />
Veterinary Medicine Department sought out support from the local medical community. Experts<br />
in the field quickly partnered with the <strong>Humane</strong> <strong>Society</strong> to formulate an extensive treatment <strong>and</strong>
Change language