Madison Lawson-Fairfield

In May 2019, Madison went to her primary vet, Dr. Katrina Johnson, for a routine visit and I was shocked she discovered a heart murmur. I was shocked to say the least. I was there 2 weeks prior for a cyst on her back, and there was no mention of a heart murmur.

Immediately my heart fell! Dr. Johnson took x-rays and performed a few other tests. Madison was only 8 years old. How could this be so? I knew I had to see a cardiologist.

There are not very many cardiologists in the Chicago area. I scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Luethy at Medvet of Chicago. He determined Madison was B1 and stable without medication.

Shortly after her initial appointment with Dr. Luethy, I saw Madison start a downward pattern of coughing while excited, often being tired and panting after a short visit outside. All these changes happened rather quickly. I moved her appointment sooner and found out just shy of 3 months, Madison had moved to B2 and started vetmedin.

The very next day, I started the quarantine process. I did have a phone consult with RVC in England and was advised that since Madison was B2, she could be bumped for a more severe dog. At the same time, I also had my cardiologist send my records to the Jasmine Clinic.

Shortly after, I receive a March 2020 surgery date from the Jasmine Clinic. As weeks went on, Madison continued to go downhill, and her heart murmur was 5/6. I asked Jasmine to please move my date sooner and was advised their English-speaking surgeon was out of the office until March. I told them I would use an application for translation, and they agreed to the February 24, 2020, surgery date. My case manager was Dr. Chen.

I watched Madison continue to decline and suffer during the hot summer months. I was so scared and nervous and just prayed that we could keep her stable until our arrival date for surgery. Nate was so kind to help with diet changes and provided so much help, support and guidance.

Madison had cardiology visits every 2 months and moved to moderate B2, with her heart pressing on her trachea. Finally it was time for our travels to Japan. I knew about the Covid virus and armed myself with plenty of masks and hand sanitizer.

We arrived in Japan on February 18, 2020, and Izu picked us up from the airport. I do recall going past the Diamond Princess ship that was offshore Japan with many covid passengers. That felt so leary to me, but here we are. Izu dropped us off to Atsuko's Azumino apartment. Atsuko gave us a tour and we settled in.

Finally. our pre-op visit was 4 days later, and Dr. Chen advised that Madison's valve was severe. I just burst into tears. She performed an echo and all bloodwork, and I signed all appropriate paperwork for Madison's surgery. I knew Madison was in the best hands possible.

Madison in the final stages of heart repair surgery, closure.

February 24th arrived, and we were the 3rd surgery of the day. We arrived and they shaved Madison and brought her back out to me for a while. Surgery time arrived, and I knew it wouldn't be long until I saw her again. I kissed her goodbye and told her that mom will see her in just a little bit.

We went to a local restaurant close-by and was given a time to come back to the clinic. Madison was out of surgery after 3.5 hours. 7 chordae were replaced, and she did well during surgery. They did allow me back to see her and I knew the worst part was over.

We took the train daily to visit Madison and her numbers improved day by day. We brought her cooked chicken breasts daily, feeding her, and spent a little time with her. They released Madison from the clinic after 5 days. She was so excited to be released to me and it was so hard to keep her calm. Madison's heart returned to normal size by the time we left japan.

Madison Is released from Jasmine

We continued with our follow-ups until the day arrived for us to fly back to Chicago. By this time, covid took hold in the US and flights were being shut down. We arrived home just in time.

Madison continued to improve leaps and bounds every single day. Our cardiology visits were great and Dr. Luethy could barely hear a murmur.

Madison stopped all heart medications after her surgery in Japan. Here we are, almost a year and a half later, with no heart medications needed. She has remained stable, and all cardiology visits remain positive.

First and foremost, I thank God. I also thank Nate, Dr. Chen, Dr. Masami and his team. I thank Dr. Luethy and my vet, Dr. Johnson. We all worked hand-in-hand for a successful surgery for my precious baby Madison.

Breed: Shih Tzu
Age: 9
Diagnosis: Stage B2
Surgery Date: February 24th, 2020
Hometown: Crete, IL, United States
Owner: Michelle Lawson-Fairfield
Primary Vet: Katrina Johnson VCA Forest South Animal Hospital
Cardiologist: Michael Luethy MedVet of Chicago
Surgical Team: Dr. Masami Uechi & Team at, Jasmine Cardiovascular Medical Center

Snickers Kay

December 2019, I noticed our 11-year-old chihuahua was breathing very fast. I asked my fiancé James if this was normal, he quickly answered no. We immediately rushed Snickers to the nearest emergency veterinarian hospital. After multiple tests the doctor came and informed us that Snickers has mitral valve disease. My heart sank to the floor. I could not believe this was happening. She proceeded to tell us that his prognosis was approximately 8-10 months maximum to live. Unfortunately, I knew this fact all too well. You see, my first dog, Coco, also had this horrible disease and ultimately died from it.

James asked the doctor if there was anything or anyone that could help Snickers. We were desperate and willing to do anything to save him. She mentioned a doctor in Japan, but said it was very expensive and does not know anyone who ever followed through with it. As we left Snickers in the ER the tears streamed down my face. James looked at me and told me “I promise I’m going to save him.” I wanted to believe him, but I did not know how he was going to make that happen. That evening, when we got home, James searched google for hours. That is when he came across Mighty Hearts Project. We joined the Facebook MVD Community group and then received a call from a gentleman by the name of Nate Estes. Nate shared with us his personal experiences with Might Hearts. In that moment, I finally felt a huge sigh of relief, finally a glimmer of hope.

After Snickers came home, we took him to a to local veterinary cardiologist who recommended we take him off furosemide. Shortly after, Snickers quickly went into his second heart failure episode. As we sat waiting and praying that Snickers would stabilize, James did what he does best, more research. The more posts we read, the more we kept seeing the name Dr. Simon Swift in Gainesville, FL. This seemed to be where he was practicing, only a 4-hour drive from our home. On Christmas Day, we emailed Dr. Swift begging him for help because he could be Snickers last resort. Dr. Swift responded requesting us to bring him in to assess him. We waited until Snickers was once again discharged and drove to meet Dr. Swift, the man who would save his life.

I could write a novel about Dr. Swift...his demeanor, his presence, his empathy, his knowledge. Dr. Swift saved Snickers. I know what you’re thinking, Dr. Uechi saved Snickers, and he did. But Snickers would not have made it to Japan without Dr. Swift. The importance of a GREAT cardiologist was so evident. We went every 2 months to go see Dr. Swift for over a year. February 2020, we scheduled a call with Dr. Brockman and scheduled Snickers for surgery on May 28th. We were over the moon; we were going to save our baby. One week after our call we got the email the RVC was suspending their heart surgery program due to staffing. We were once again crushed but hopefully this would be temporary.

Snickers 3rd heart failure episode happened on July 4th, 2020. This one was bad. Snickers was coughing up blood and they called us to come say our goodbyes. I begged the young doctor not to give up. I told him Snickers was going to have heart surgery and to do whatever he had to stabilize him. That’s where Dr. Tucker comes in. Dr. Tucker had been an emergency room veterinarian for over 20 years. When she heard the young doctor calling us to say there was nothing more that could be done, she took over. Dr. Tucker told us that this will be a slow process, but she believed we could get Snickers out of heart failure. Four days later, she did. At this time, we knew we could not continue to wait for RVC and started the 180-day Japanese quarantine. Only problem was we were in the middle of a pandemic. Japan was only allowing Japanese nationals. Snickers 4th heart failure episode happened when we tried to control his coughing. He was waking up in the middle of the night coughing and gasping for air. Our hearts broke knowing he wasn’t comfortable. He was prescribed prednisone by another doctor and immediately went into heart failure.

By this time we knew this pandemic was here to stay and we needed to think outside of the box if we were going to save Snickers. James joined a group on Facebook called ‘Return to Japan’ and messaged over 100 Japanese nationals asking if they would take Snickers from the states to Japan for three weeks. I’ll be honest, I think most people thought he was a crazy person. A man offering to pay for your flight, hotel, and compensation for taking his chihuahua to Japan for a lifesaving surgery? Hmm....I think I’ll pass. Enter Haruno. Haruno was a member of the group and had responded to another person’s question about the restrictions. James sent her a private message explaining our situation and she responded that she had a sister that lived in NY who was a Japanese national. She said she would speak to her sister and get back to us. Three days passed and James sent a message asking if she wanted any documentation to prove this was a legitimate trip. She asked us for email correspondence with Jasmine clinic. After she saw emails dating back to December 2019 she agreed on a zoom call with her, her sister Kotono, James and myself. After speaking for 10 minutes and explaining everything we asked Kotono to think about it and get back to us. The next morning, she agreed to take the lifesaving trip with Snickers from NYC to Japan.

The next 150 days was a series of what can go wrong will go wrong. From the wrong forms being submitted to Japanese Quarantine to having to sedate Snickers most of the day in order to preserve his health. We flew to NYC to meet a total stranger who was going to take our Snickers on a 14-hour flight to another country. We were terrified saying goodbye at the airport knowing this could be the last time we see Snickers alive. The difficult path continued to the last day when Japan announced that anyone flying from the states would need to take a 72-hour PCR test prior to getting on the flight. This news wouldn’t have been a big deal if it wasn’t announced as we were at the airport sending Snickers and Kotono off. We received a panicked call from Izu telling us that Kotono would be taken from the airport to a government hotel and separated from Snickers.

Oh no! Snickers would never survive this! But, by the grace of God with every roadblock was a path to success and Florida did not have this restriction go into effect until 3 days after the announcement, we were safe. Snickers had surgery at Jasmine Clinic on January 12th, 2021, with Dr. Uechi. We received the call from Sayaka that surgery went well, and Snickers was stable, thank God! Fast forward five months...Snickers murmur went from a grade 6 to grade 3, his heart shrunk to pre-disease size, his respiration is 12 bpm, and most importantly he gets to enjoy sprinting without coughing when he sees a squirrel he wants to chase.

If you told me back in December 2019 that we would find a stranger to take our chihuahua from the states to Japan for a lifesaving surgery in the middle of a pandemic. I would never have believed you. But none of this would have been possible without Nate, Dr. Swift, and Dr. Uechi. This experience showed me that miracles can happen and there is truly good in the world. Never give up, the path isn’t easy...it’s full of roadblocks. But the end result, man the end result is so beautiful I couldn’t even put it into words.

Lots of love from the Kay family.

A beautiful video of Snickers seeing mom and dad back in the US after surgery.

Breed: Chihuahua Age: 12 Diagnosis: Stage D Surgery Date: January 12th, 2021 Hometown: Boynton Beach, Florida, United States Owner: Jennifer and James Kay Primary Vet: Dr. Michele Tucker, VCA Cardiologist: Dr. Simon Swift
Surgical Team: Dr. Masami Uechi & Team at, Jasmine Cardiovascular Medical Center

Dumpling Yean

It all started when Dumpling, just turned ten years old. He was due for a full annual exam, I noted that he had a cough. My vet noticed a heart murmur that was never detected before (when we were living abroad in France), she referred me to the cardiologist for further diagnostics. July of 2019 Dumpling was sadly diagnosed with mitral valve heart disease. It was determined he was at stage B2. His left side of his heart was visibly enlarged. Immediately he had to start taking two different kinds of medicines, Vetmedin to keep his heart pumping more effectively, and Hydrocodone to help suppress his cough.

I discovered a group by the name of Mighty Hearts Project on Instagram where I learned of the cardiac surgery group in Japan led by Dr. Masami Uechi (Jasmine) where they have shown successful outcomes (>90% success rates) in dogs undergoing mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral valve disease. The surgery is a complete valve repair!

Immediately I began the preparations for Dumpling to get on the surgery waitlist, since this is a highly specialized surgery and only a few teams in the world perform it, all based off Dr. Uechi’s technique. Dumpling was deemed too early the first time we tried looking into surgery back in September of 2019, we were told to try again after another six months had passed by doing another echocardiogram. In the meantime, we started his 180-day quarantine to get into Japan.

April 2020, we did another echocardiogram and submitted the results to Dr. Takeuchi in Japan. This time, she said his heart has degenerated to a point where he was eligible for surgery. Unfortunately, she was right and on July 3rd Dumpling had his first check-in to the emergency room, due to congestive heart failure - his heart condition had slipped into stage C quickly! Time was of the essence. We had to get to Japan for his life-saving surgery right away.

Jasmine’s first opening was in the fall of 2020. We scheduled surgery around Thanksgiving/December of 2020, the first appointment we could get. In the meantime, the entire world was dealing with the Covid-19 Pandemic and travel bans, but I did not lose hope and thought things would open up for us.

In September the Japan Animal Quarantine Office granted him clearance to come into Tokyo after I submitted his Rabies Titer information after completing the 180-day waiting process. This was one hurdle completed but I was still not granted the temporary visa to get into the country yet. I went to the Japanese Consulate and submitting many documents for the visa, and it was denied in September, (they did not even want to submit it formally as it would mean I was banned from Japan for six months if rejected formally), as I am American and not a Japanese national. The rejection was a crushing blow and super stressful, we did not give up. I went back in the middle of October to apply again for a medical or tourist visa, unfortunately I was denied the visa and asked to retract my application again, cases of Covid-19 were too high and they couldn’t risk letting in any foreigners now. Of course, this blow was heartbreaking.

Due to the lack of a visa I had to reschedule Dumpling’s surgery from the week of Thanksgiving to January. For the next two months I checked with the Japanese Consulate with hope and diligence that they would accept my application and grant me the visa. I also had my Japanese friend call the Tokyo Visa office, and we tag teamed both of them from the USA and Japan offices to try to get them to accept my application, they finally did and granted me my visa in the final hour, week of Christmas! At the same time, I had to deal with the new legislation that took away the rights for ESA animals to travel in the cabin. Through much discussion and help with the great team at ANA, they decided to honor my original ESA pet in-cabin booking as it was made before the U.S. law took effect in January. Again, crisis averted. We did have a slight wait but no problems getting Dumpling’s forms for export with the USDA office.

On January 4th we were on our way to Japan. Upon check-in at LAX, the airline told me that my visa was no longer valid as new restrictions were placed on tourists due to the two new strains of COVID-19. I pleaded my case and after calling Japan she agreed to let us board on the condition that I sign a contract to see if I was denied entry to Japan and had to turn back, I would be responsible for all charges. When we landed that is when the nightmare began. Unexpected hurdle number two, apparently while I was in-flight Japan issued a new law that placed California on a new red list. The officer explained it was mandatory that I had to stay at a government hotel to self-quarantine, no exceptions, and pets were not allowed. No matter how much I tried to reason and plead it was no use this time...I was so sad realizing Dumpling and I had to be apart for two crucial weeks of pre and post surgery.

I had to pivot and quickly book Dumpling to be boarded at a friend’s vet in Tokyo and arrange him to be driven there alone with the Pet Taxi service, I was not allowed to go into Tokyo with him. The customs officers escorted me to my bus to go to the quarantine hotel after we separated at baggage claim. I was very sad and scared for Dumpling to be apart from me after such a long flight.

On January 7th I took Dumpling's pre-operative appointment via video from my quarantine hotel. Since we were apart, I had to make sure I was communicating with everyone on the ground (his pet taxi driver, his local vet boarding, and Jasmine) remotely. Mr. Izu, Dumpling's Pet Taxi driver kindly took a picture of the Jasmine building for me, and it is quite impressive, it’s a huge animal hospital! I met with Dr. Takeuchi over ZOOM and was so happy to see my little boy in the frame doing well. I took a little screenshot of Big D in the carrier, and he seemed content, he was grooming and burrowing in the blanket. Dumpling was tested for his blood work and overall heart check with x-rays and echocardiograms. He was cleared for his surgery in 5 days.

By January 10th the Japanese authorities surprised me by letting me out of the Quarantine hotel early, as I tested negative three times in a row. I had to sign an honor contract that let them track my whereabouts in Japan and had to report my temperature on a government APP daily for the rest of my two-week quarantine period, but was free to go to my AirBNB. I was thrilled to leave and was able to spend the 11th with Dumpling, a full day before his surgery. Last night I had Dumpling sleep with me and I cuddled with him, prayed, gave him a lot of soothing kisses and pep talks. He knew something big was coming up!

January 12th was his Heart Surgery Day. It was a hopeful, grateful, and nerve-wracking day. Mr. Izu picked up Dumpling at 6 am to take him on his solo ride to Jasmine (I was still in quarantine and was not allowed to go). He was so nice to help us take a picture together, as well as gave me a gift - a small calendar that had chihuahuas on it, just so kind! My heart hurt when I saw them drive off without me. Jasmine and I had a pre-surgery zoom where I met Dr. Uechi. We had a translated conversation together where he told me that Dumpling looked good for surgery. I thanked him and wished him good luck on the surgery.

After his 5 hour long surgery, I received communication from Jasmine. I was so anxious. He finished surgery and was now in the ICU. The surgery went well without any major complications. Bleeding was as expected for a cardiac surgery. Dumpling’s heart had 2 to 3 major chords that were broken and the rest were stretched. Today he has 7 new chords placed with goretex sutures. The goal of the new chords are to allow the leaflets to close better to reduce the regurgitation volume. It’s a miracle, a 1.5 year journey to get this done. I believe in science and the power it has to heal and save lives. I am beyond grateful for this blessing.

I was not allowed to see him during his week in ICU for recovery post surgery. The first three days were crucial to his recovery. Jasmine updated me a few times each day. He had anemia, low blood platelet count, and typical bruising. They tried to keep his inflammation down and stop blood clots from forming. I was also shocked to learn he had a partial seizure on the 15th. On the bright side he still had a hearty appetite and was strong enough to walk outside. Within that week his vitals all improved. The 19th was the big day. Time for Dumpling’s discharge from the Jasmine clinic and into my home (Air BNB) care. It was my first time seeing him post-surgery.

It was also the day that I was officially off the 14 day quarantine with the Japanese government. Seeing Jasmine in person was a wonderful moment - the crescendo of 1.5 years of hope and work towards Dumpling’s journey. It is brand new, big, and clean - a totally impressive new place where they do life saving work for dogs. The lobby was spacious and Covid-friendly. There were a few local Japanese patients, all little fur babies waiting patiently inside their carriers. Exactly as scheduled, Dr. Takeuchi opened the patient room door to welcome me. Dumpling was there and so shocked to see me. We had an amazing reunion where my little guy showered me with tons of kisses. He looked visibly tired and a little skinnier but all in all so good. He was ready to go home.

Her directions to me were clear, limited exercise and activity for the next three months. Feed him nutritious food (his appetite was hearty), and watch out for his heart and breathing. His vitals were improving and he was going to the bathroom regularly. He is down to one medication a day (blood thinner) instead of four. He had huge stitches and lots of deep colored bruises, but Sayaka told me it did not cause him pain. All good signs.

We did one last echo before his discharge and did not yet see his heart shrinking, she explained this process fluctuates in the next three months after surgery as his heart hopefully learns to be small again. Sayaka explained some dogs hearts never get small again, it depends on the muscle’s response and tissue reactivity. Because this was a repair, and not a replacement, the regurgitation will always be there a tiny bit. The heart will still continue to age, there are still the aortic and tricuspid valves that can leak, even if we repaired the main one, the mitral valve. We have added more years to Dumpling’s life and hopefully we won’t have to worry about the mitral valve ever again.

Friday January 23rd Dumpling had his last appointment at Jasmine. Dr. Takeuchi was able to remove the stitches that were on his neck and chest, his skin had healed nicely. Two thirds of his dark red bruising healed. She also did his bloodwork and another echocardiogram. Good news is that his anemia improved and his platelet counts were up. Bad news is that his heart size has not decreased yet, and she says it is because he is moving too much. Dumpling made a point to say hi to everyone in the staff, I think he knew he was thanking them and saying goodbye. So thankful for this incredible team at Jasmine Animal Hospital and Dr. Uechi and Dr. Takeuchi. They are such experts and so caring. Once I got their blessings and strict instructions (3 month recovery), we gave our kind goodbyes and I hope we never have to come back in Dumpling’s lifetime. Izu from the Pet Taxi drove us to the airport the very next day and we had a nice, uneventful flight on ANA back to Los Angeles, the crew was so nice to us. Our Japan journey was officially over and a success.

It is with gratitude and love that I can say Dumpling has recovered well from his surgery at Jasmine and is flourishing. His 12th birthday was spent on the beach in March. As we approach month five post-op, he had the green light from Jasmine and my cardiologist Dr. Emily Chapel to do 20 minute walks again and his heart has shrunk back down to the size of the beginning size of B2, which is quite significant for a brave boy his advanced age. He still has his coughing due to his collapsed trachea condition, (common in small dogs) but the coughs sound different than before the surgery, where it was due to his heart disease. He takes Vetmedin twice a day now to keep his heart pumping optimized, but no longer needs any other meds like Furosemide or Enalapril. He now has a bit of separation anxiety and is way more loving and close to me than before. I give him extra cuddles and kisses everyday, I am so thankful and really enjoy each day that is bestowed upon us. It’s such a gift from the amazing mitral valve surgery by the amazing Dr. Uechi, Dr. Takeuchi, and the wonderful team at Jasmine.

Dumpling and I LOVE you all and THANK you for supporting his surgical journey. He will forever have a place in his heart for you all and Japan in his little mighty heart.

If you have any questions about the surgery, Japan recommendations or need any support whatsoever please feel free to reach out to me on Facebook and IG.

Dr. Sayaka Takeuchi with Eva & Dumpling

Breed: Chihuahua Age: 11 Diagnosis: Stage C Surgery Date: January 12th, 2021 Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, United States Owner: Eva Yean Primary Vet: Dr. Jeff Werber Cardiologist: Dr. Emily Chapel, Access Specialty Animal Hospitals Surgical Team: Dr. Masami Uechi & Team at, Jasmine Cardiovascular Medical Center

Hazel Radon

Hazel is a brilliant, attentive, and shy Cavachon. She gets a lot of attention but has somehow managed not to get spoiled or pick up too many bad behaviors. When Hazel was 5, her vet noted a slight heart murmur during a routine check-up. Barely audible.

 In the summer of 2018 at the age of 9, she had an infection which the vet mistook for congestive heart failure. Our vet sent us to Veterinary Cardiologist Consultants (VCC) who assured us it wasn’t congestive heart failure. Her murmur was moderate and although her mitral valve was leaking, it was minimal. VCC asked us to bring her back in a year.

 Six months later, in late Feb of 2019, Hazel had another cough. We made a vet appointment for a Saturday morning. Early Saturday morning we woke up to find Hazel panting, coughing, and her heart racing. We spent 10-15 minutes trying to see if we could calm her down. When that didn’t work, we snapped a video and rushed her to emergency. They whisked Hazel off, got her in an oxygen chamber and tossed every treatment they had at her. It was dicey, but she recovered over the weekend and we were allowed to bring her home.

 A later echocardiogram would confirm that several chordae tendineae had ruptured. Her cardiologist at the time, Dr. Christian Weder, let us know that Hazel had suffered a catastrophic failure. A failure that’s usually fatal. We were informed that dogs who survive an incident of this magnitude often do better, and on medication she might live for 9-12 months.

 That same day, with a lot of new medications in hand, we started to research. I found references to mitral valve repairs in various journals. Then, I found Mighty Hearts Project and realized that people were actually going through with these surgeries.

 Unsure of the efficacy, we immediately sent Dr. Weder an email and asked him what he thought of Mighty Hearts Project and the MVR surgeries. Dr. Weder replied early in the morning the next day. We read the email and cried with hope. Dr. Weder had studied with Dr. Uechi at Cornell. Furthermore, he had a patient (JoJo) returning from RVC after a successful surgery. We were told if we went that route, chances were very good that Hazel could live symptom free for the rest of her natural life.

 The next few days were a whirlwind. Dr. Weder connected us with JoJo’s owner. We asked to get on RVC’s waitlist. We put together a project plan based on the guidance from Mighty Hearts Project. We signed up with the Facebook MVD Community group to find how people were handling travel.

 On March 15th, 2019, Hazel was given a surgery date of June 4th. Timing wise, Hazel was extremely lucky. RVC had just doubled their capacity and were able to get us in much quicker. Her surgery threaded the needle between increased capacity at RVC and the suspension of the surgeries at RVC and furthermore, COVID-19.

 We began training Hazel to fly. We practiced using a stroller and travel carrier. We obtained some anti-anxiety medication for her to reduce all of our stress. Hazel did fantastic on the flight. She refused to go on the pee pads and at the very end of the flight ended up peeing on a blanket we had for her, but otherwise did great.

 During the surgical process, we stayed in Harpenden. The apartments there had an interesting vibe. It felt like a tiny dog heart surgery community. People brought food to one another, shared tips, shared rides, and just generally took care of one another.

 Hazel had her surgery on schedule and recovered without incident. I was able to work remotely while overseas. The time difference was very useful. I was able to spend mornings with Hazel in recovery and work in the afternoons and evenings. Once Hazel was released, she had some pretty bad indigestion. Enough that I took her back to RVC one evening to receive fluids. The bypass machine can be pretty rough to recover from and they’ll give the dog anything to keep them eating in recovery.

 The flight home was largely uneventful. My wife had been home for a few weeks during Hazel’s recovery and had prepared the house. Baby gates on the stairs. Furniture she could jump on moved into one room and gated off. Mattress on the floor. Ramp down our front steps. Those steps made the recovery much less stressful. The 4th of July was just a few days after we arrived back home. Hazel is terrified of fireworks, so we booked a hotel far away from any neighborhoods or planned shows.

 As of October 2020, Hazel is now 1 year and 4 months post-surgery. She’s doing well entirely without medication. Her checkups have shown no change in heart size or valve function for the past 6 months. The only lingering symptom is a cough after drinking and occasionally choking on her food. We believe that to be from the time she spent with an enlarged heart pressing on her trachea and esophagus. Raising her bowls (at the recommendation of her cardiologist) and using a slow-feed bowl have eliminated the incidents of choking.

 In the end, we feel extremely lucky to have her well past her initial prognosis. She’s happy, healthy, and very lucky.

Breed: Cavachon Age: 10 Diagnosis: Stage C Surgery Date: June 4th, 2019 Hometown: Novi, MI, United States Owner: Jonathan Radon Primary Vet: Dr. Gorbea, Plymouth Veterinary Hospital Cardiologist: Dr. Weder/Dr. DeSana, Veterinary Cardiology Consultants Surgical Team: RVC, Drs. Dan Brockman & Poppy Bristow

Koda Murray

Koda’s symptoms came on suddenly and rapidly. He had his yearly check up with his primary care veterinarian in April 2017 with no noticeable murmur whatsoever. Yet in late October 2017 he began coughing consistently, so I took him to be seen by his primary care veterinarian and was referred to a cardiologist immediately. His cardiologist diagnosed him with CHF, MVD, at a grade 5/6 murmur. No one could explain why he went from no murmur to a grade 6 in a matter of months.

With medications his symptoms were well controlled for a couple months, but dosages needed to be constantly increased and new medications added. In April 2018 he had his first hospitalization from CHF and was on a rapid decline. He was hospitalized on two more occasions in May before his surgery date at the Jasmine clinic in July. After surgery, we were told that nearly all his cords had been torn, which would explain his rapid and sudden decline. 

Koda had surgery on July 25th 2018, with no complications. He did have to be released after only 3 days because he was too stressed without me, but this didn’t effect his healing. His heart has dramatically decreased in size and he is now only taking a low dose of Vetmedin. He does still have a grade 4 murmur but there is no significant regurgitation.  He has his crazy Aussie energy back, and acts like a puppy again. We are forever grateful to Dr. Uechi and his amazing team, and everyone who helped us make this trip possible.

Breed: Miniature Australian Shepherd
Age: 11 years old
Diagnosis: Stage D Surgery Date: July 25th, 2018
Hometown: Portland, OR Owner: Stefani Murray Instagram: @kodawoof
Cardiologist: Dr. Gary Wood at Cardiology Northwest
Surgical Team: Dr. Masami Uechi, Jasmine Cardiovascular Medical Center

Maddox

Maddox is an 8 year old Shih-Poo from Chicago, IL.   Maddox was asymptomatic with severe Mitral regurgitation and moderate Tricuspid regurgitation. Six months prior to MVD diagnosis, Maddox had no heart murmur before suddenly having grade 5/6. She was prescribed Pimobendan and remained stable until surgery at JASMINE Veterinary Cardiovascular Medical Center. Her heart showed progressive enlargement during each follow-up echocardiogram leading up to surgery which later confirmed Mitral valve prolapse and ruptured chordae tendineae.  Maddox had mitral repair surgery on October 17, 2017 at the JASMINE clinic in Japan.

4 months post-surgery, Maddox has significant improvement including reduced heart size, extremely mild Mitral regurgitation, and no Tricuspid regurgitation. “Diagnostic Impressions: The evaluation demonstrates degenerative mitral valve disease with an excellent result from valve repair surgery. The disease is extremely well compensated at this time and medical therapy is not warranted.”

Breed: Shih-Poo
Age: 8 years old
Diagnosis: Stage B2
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Owner: Joseph K.
Cardiologist: Dr. Michael Luethy
Primary Veterinarian: MedVet Chicago
Surgical Team: Dr. Masami Uechi & Team at, Jasmine Cardiovascular Medical Center

Zoey Jordan

Zoey is a 10 year old Maltese from Orlando, FL.  Zoey's vet diagnosed her with a heart murmur when she was approximately four years old.  Her owner was told that it wasn’t a big deal because they would monitor it and she didn’t think anything of it because Zoey's sister had a heart murmur and lived to be 17 years old without any problems or medication.

In July 2016, Zoey was gasping for air and coughing was taken to the vet.  On suspicion that it was her heart, Zoey was referred to an internist since Orlando does not have Vet Cardiologist.  The internist Zoey was referred to did several tests and misdiagnosed her with pneumonia. She was prescribed antibiotics and a nebulizer.  Zoey’s sickness continued to progress. She was then taken her back to the internist where they did more tests and once again Zoey was misdiagnosed, this time with a mass in her lung and the doctor wanted to perform surgery to remove the mass. Her owner knew she wouldn't survive the surgery, and it was decided that Zoey be taken to an ER Vet where she had previously been a patient.  It turned out to be the best decision.

The vet from the ER knew it was her heart and put her on Lasix and in an oxygen chamber immediately.  They referred Zoey to a cardiologist at University of Florida in Gainesville and loaned the oxygen cage to transport her.  UF saved Zoey's life.  Unfortunately,  during the month of being misdiagnosed, Zoey went into heart failure and ruptured a cord. The Cardiologist at University of Florida told me Zoey had two months to two years to live.

That answer was not acceptable, so an appointment with Dr. Simon Swift, the Medical Director and Clinical Cardiologist at UF was scheduled and he reviewed all of Zoey’s records.  He suggested that Zoey was a good candidate for mitral valve repair surgery and she was referred to Dr. Sabine in France.

Zoey is currently stable and on four medications in the morning and three at night. She gets acupuncture treatments twice a month and is on multiple supplements.. Zoey is still under the supervision of Dr. Swift and she is scheduled for surgery in France on September 22, 2017.

Breed: Maltese
Age: 10 years old
Diagnosis: Stage C
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Owner: Janette Jordan
Cardiologist : Dr. Simon Swift, UFL
Surgical Team: France, Drs. Masami Uechi, Sabine & Jean Hugues Bozon

Mong Lee

Mong is an 11 year old Maltese from Pyeongtaek, South Korea.  In November 2016, Mong was hospitalized with pulmonary edema and diagnosed with a chordae tendineae rupture and Mitral valve disease.  Last summer, Mong's brother passed away so his parents want to save him more than anything.  In Korea, there was no information on the valve operation but research on overseas sites revealed that the operation was available in Japan. Mong's owners immediately began the Japan quarantine process and during the waiting period, his heart condition has gotten worse causing arrhythmia and syncope.  Mong is scheduled for surgery at JASMINE in Japan on August 7, 2017.  He currently is in stage B2/C and we wish Mong a stable condition until his surgery.

Breed: Maltese
Age: 11 years old
Diagnosis: Stage B2/C
Hometown: Pyeongtaek, South Korea
Owner: Yuri Choi Instagram: @yurikhyuri
Cardiologist : Seung-gon Lee, Seoul animal heart hospital
Surgical Team: Dr. Masami Uechi & Team at, Jasmine Cardiovascular Medical Center

Bentley McAlpine

Bentley is a 7 1/2 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Maple Valley, WA. In 2015, Bentley’s vet mentioned that he had a slight heart murmur.  In November 2016, his heart murmur had elevated to a Grade 4.  He was taken to a cardiologist and diagnosed with Mitral Valve Disease, Stage B2+.  He had an enlarged heart with severe regurgitation.  Bentley was stabilized with drug therapies. 

One week prior to traveling to France for Mitral Valve Repair surgery, Bentley went into early stage Congested Heart Failure, Stage C.  With an additional drug added, he was stabilized once again.  Bentley received his surgery in Versailles, France on March 23, 2017.  Bentley’s cardiologist, Dr. Mikaela Mueller, also flew to France to observe this miraculous surgery.  

Bentley had his 1-month post-op checkup on April 5, and is doing great!  His heart is back to normal size, he is off of all drug therapies, and his regurgitation was reduced to a normal range.  Bentley recently attended his first conference in Seattle, WA in front of 75-100 vets, as a guest star representing the MVR surgery.  Bentley is more active, full of energy, and spunky.  We are looking forward to his 3-month post-op checkup.

Breed: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Age: 7-1/2 years old
Diagnosis: Stage B2+
Hometown: Maple Valley, WA
Owner: Marla McAlpine
Instagram: @marvelousbymarla
Cardiologist: Dr. Mikaela Mueller, Seattle Veterinary Specialists
Surgical Team: France, Drs. Masami Uechi, Sabine & Jean Hugues Bozon

Tiffany Frederico

Tiffany is a 9 year old Maltipoo from New York, NY. Tiffany was diagnosed on October 4, 2016 with stage C MVD. It was also suspected that she had numerous ruptured chordae tendineae. Her prognosis was poor. Her disease had a rapid onset and quick progression. At her prior check-up no murmur was even detected. 

Tiffany had surgery with Dr. Uechi at the BOZON Clinic on December 6, 2016. As suspected, Tiffany had 5 ruptured chordae tendineae that were successfully replaced. Prior to surgery, Tiffany’s heart was extremely enlarged. It is now almost within the margins of normalcy, and her mitral valve regurgitation is minimal. She is also off all medication.

Breed: Maltipoo
Age: 9 years old
Diagnosis: Stage C
Hometown: New York, NY
Owner: Margaret Frederico
Cardiologist : Dr. Keith Blass
Surgical Team: France, Drs. Masami Uechi, Sabine & Jean Hugues Bozon