Donations Make Canine Pacemaker a Reality

What: A 9-year-old Boston terrier named Matthew will get the final "tune-up" on his heart pacemaker, thanks to the generosity of the pacemaker manufacturer, Medtronics, and an airline company. Matthew and his owner, Joe Crotty of Lake Havasu, Ariz., will be flown from Phoenix to Sacramento so that veterinarians at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine can reprogram the donated pacemaker, which they surgically inserted three months ago. The reprogrammed pacemaker should help Matthew, who suffers from a slow heart rate that causes fainting spells, to live another 10 years, veterinarians say. When: Friday, Jan. 19 9:40 a.m. -- Matthew and owner arrive at Sacramento Metro Airport aboard America West, flight 553. 11:30 a.m. -- Matthew's pacemaker is reprogrammed at UC Davis Where: The reprogramming will be done in the cardiology unit of the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Reporters should go to the front desk of the small-animal clinic, located on the hospital's second floor. Visuals: During this non-surgical procedure, the dog will be placed on an examination table and hooked up to an electrocardiogram machine. A magnet will be placed on his chest to reprogram the pacemaker. The dog will then be run up and down the halls to see how the heart and pacemaker perform during exertion. The heart rate will be monitored, and any necessary adjustments in the pacemaker will be made. Directions To get to the hospital, take Interstate 80 to Highway 113, and Parking: then head north toward Woodland. Take the first exit from Hwy. 113, turning right onto Hutchison Drive. From Hutchison, turn right at the stoplight onto La Rue Road. Take the next right, turning onto Garrod Road, then turn right onto Veterinary Medicine Drive. Park in Lot 50, adjacent to the hospital. To park for free, the reporter should place a business card on the vehicle's dashboard.

Media Resources

Pat Bailey, Research news (emphasis: agricultural and nutritional sciences, and veterinary medicine), 530-219-9640, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu