Angus the dog fitted with pacemaker in Fife Published duration 20 December 2011

image caption Angus is recovering after the operation in Fife

A pacemaker has been fitted in a dog in the first operation of its kind in Scotland.

Angus, a two-year-old Dandie Dinmont terrier, had it fitted at Inglis Veterinary Hospital, Dunfermline.

The pet had third-degree heart block, causing a slow heart beat which caused collapsing episodes.

The pacemaker, a tiny computer and battery in a metal shell about the size of a small matchbox, was implanted in the scruff of the dog's neck.

A wire running down the main vein in the neck allows the device to pace the heart.

Since the operation, which was carried out on Saturday by veterinary cardiologists Craig Devine and Yolanda Martinez Perriera, Angus has been recovering at Inglis' 24-hour hospital in Halbeath Road.

After-care

Ms Perriera said: "This dog had a very, very slow heart beat, only about 40-50 beats per minute, which didn't change when he exercised.

"This could be life-threatening, so we decided he needed a pacemaker, which will regulate his heart beat and help him to function normally."

Mr Devine said: "Some of the difficulties with this procedure are not with actually implanting the pacemaker, but with the after-care that's necessary.

"In this case, we are using CCTV monitoring and continuous heart monitoring, and a dedicated nurse from Aberdeen, who specializes in imaging, ultra-sound and fluoroscopy, has been at the surgery to keep a constant watch on the animal.

"The procedure involved a specialist anaesthetist, three cardiologists and two nurses, and the dog will be hospitalised for at least four days after the operation."

Last month Inglis became the first veterinary practice in Fife to offer hi-tech MRI scanning for pets.

Owner, Ian Morrison, from Larbert, said: "He's such a lively little dog and has always been healthy.

"But a few weeks ago we took him out for a walk in Culross and he just lay down.

"We thought he was just fooling around, but then he did it again."