Holter Monitor Rental
SKU:
$125.00
$125.00
per item
A 4 day rental on a state of the art Holter Monitor. Price includes: Shipping, Holter, Leads, Vest, activity log, clippers, and Holter reading fee through Alba (up to 24 hours). Does not include $50 fee if a Cardiologist needs to be consulted (rare cases).
- May need a vet to apply.
- Owner is responsible for damage to Holter Monitor, up to purchasing a new Holter, if unit is not repairable.
- Puppy/Dog Must wear an Elizabethan collar when not directly supervised. No exceptions.
What is GSDIVA?
German Shepherd Dog Inherited Ventricular Arrhythmia (GSDIVA) is an inherited heart condition that can cause sudden death in puppies. Other breeds ( Shiloh Shepherd, Boxer, Greyhound, Beagle, Doberman) can be affected. The disease is inherited from one or both affected parents. Once the puppy reaches 24 months, he or she will outgrow the disease. The puppy that outgrows GSDIVA will not have residual heart problems and will go on to live a normal lifespan.
What are the symptoms?There are no outward symptoms of GSDIVA. This is what make the disease so heartbreaking – often it is not identified until the loss of a seemingly normal puppy. The fact that the danger of the disease disappears by the age of 2 has previously made it a very hard disease to diagnose. Affected pups may outgrow the disease, but will always pass the GSDIVA gene on to their puppies.
Several generations of puppies may go undiagnosed until an affected puppy dies with no warning.
If there are no symptoms of GSDIVA, how do I know if my pup is at risk?
Although there are no outward signs, an affected pup actually experiences irregular heart beats which means the heart is unable to function properly. The severity of the disease depends on the frequency of the irregular heart beats.A puppy may have a few irregular beats (Premature Ventricular Contractions) or many irregular beats in a row (Ventricular Tachycardia). When Ventricular Tachycardia occurs the function of the heart is so impaired that it may stop altogether. Fortunately there is a simple non-invasive test that can reliably diagnose a puppy at risk.
How is GSDIVA diagnosed?
The only way to diagnose GSDIVA is with a 24 hour Holter monitor test. The test must be performed between the ages of 6 to 11 months. The Holter monitor consists of a small cardiac monitor that is attached to the outside of the puppy’s chest via plastic coated wire leads. A vest resembling a T-shirt is then placed on the puppy to secure the leads and protect the monitor. The Holter monitor and vest are worn for 24 hours. The monitor takes a picture of every heartbeat during that time period. If the test shows frequent irregular heartbeats, the pup then has several blood tests done to rule out any other conditions. If these tests come back negative, the diagnosis is then declared as GSDIVA.
My pup is a pet and won’t be bred – should I still test?
Absolutely – it is a relatively inexpensive procedure, and the results may be life-saving. If we can identify those pups at risk and the lines which seem to produce problems we can eventually secure a future for the Shiloh Shepherd, free from this devastating disease.
Where do we go from here?This is a very exciting time in the development of the Shiloh Shepherd breed. As breeders and involved owners, we have the opportunity to eliminate a disease from our gene pool. Not only do we have the opportunity, we also carry the responsibility to future generations of this breed.
German Shepherd Dog Inherited Ventricular Arrhythmia (GSDIVA) is an inherited heart condition that can cause sudden death in puppies. Other breeds ( Shiloh Shepherd, Boxer, Greyhound, Beagle, Doberman) can be affected. The disease is inherited from one or both affected parents. Once the puppy reaches 24 months, he or she will outgrow the disease. The puppy that outgrows GSDIVA will not have residual heart problems and will go on to live a normal lifespan.
What are the symptoms?There are no outward symptoms of GSDIVA. This is what make the disease so heartbreaking – often it is not identified until the loss of a seemingly normal puppy. The fact that the danger of the disease disappears by the age of 2 has previously made it a very hard disease to diagnose. Affected pups may outgrow the disease, but will always pass the GSDIVA gene on to their puppies.
Several generations of puppies may go undiagnosed until an affected puppy dies with no warning.
If there are no symptoms of GSDIVA, how do I know if my pup is at risk?
Although there are no outward signs, an affected pup actually experiences irregular heart beats which means the heart is unable to function properly. The severity of the disease depends on the frequency of the irregular heart beats.A puppy may have a few irregular beats (Premature Ventricular Contractions) or many irregular beats in a row (Ventricular Tachycardia). When Ventricular Tachycardia occurs the function of the heart is so impaired that it may stop altogether. Fortunately there is a simple non-invasive test that can reliably diagnose a puppy at risk.
How is GSDIVA diagnosed?
The only way to diagnose GSDIVA is with a 24 hour Holter monitor test. The test must be performed between the ages of 6 to 11 months. The Holter monitor consists of a small cardiac monitor that is attached to the outside of the puppy’s chest via plastic coated wire leads. A vest resembling a T-shirt is then placed on the puppy to secure the leads and protect the monitor. The Holter monitor and vest are worn for 24 hours. The monitor takes a picture of every heartbeat during that time period. If the test shows frequent irregular heartbeats, the pup then has several blood tests done to rule out any other conditions. If these tests come back negative, the diagnosis is then declared as GSDIVA.
My pup is a pet and won’t be bred – should I still test?
Absolutely – it is a relatively inexpensive procedure, and the results may be life-saving. If we can identify those pups at risk and the lines which seem to produce problems we can eventually secure a future for the Shiloh Shepherd, free from this devastating disease.
Where do we go from here?This is a very exciting time in the development of the Shiloh Shepherd breed. As breeders and involved owners, we have the opportunity to eliminate a disease from our gene pool. Not only do we have the opportunity, we also carry the responsibility to future generations of this breed.