VCBE Case of the Month

Years ago, the idea of providing quality medical care for exotic pets was exactly that: just an idea. Nowadays, exotic pets are part of our families; no matter how big or small, they all manage to earn a special place in our hearts.

In return, we try to make their lives as healthy and long-lived as possible, even when their hearts break down, literally.



"Penny" is a 3-year-old female guinea pig. Her owner, Kristin Davies, brought Penny to the Veterinary Center after she noticed Penny making some strange sounds and breathing rapidly. Just as your doctor might do with you when you’re ill, we did some basic diagnostic tests on Penny, including a complete physical examination, x-rays, and blood tests, to try to find a cause for her signs.

The most striking results came with Penny’s x-rays, which showed an enlarged heart and evidence of fluid in her chest, suggesting a heart problem. We called in our local board-certified veterinary cardiologist to examine Penny’s heart more closely with the help of an echocardiogram, or ultrasound of her heart. 

Her final diagnosis: congestive heart failure. 
 
Any animal – guinea pig, rabbit, reptile, or bird – can suffer from this potentially life threatening condition. We knew we had to do something quickly to try to improve Penny’s heart function and to make her breathe more easily.

So, just as your doctor would do to treat heart disease, we started Penny on 3 different types of heart medication. Three months later, on her daily medications and with regular recheck examinations, Penny continues to live a happy life and continues to provide Kristin with love and happiness every day.

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