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Posted: 26th May 2017

Child’s pacemaker used to treat epileptic dog
Epilepsy is a common condition in dogs, and yet despite this, it can be very difficult and expensive to treat with medication. (Stock image)
Vets and doctors collaborate to perform pioneering surgery    

A human pacemaker has been implanted into an epileptic dog, in an attempt to treat the condition, for the first time ever in the UK, BBC News reports. The procedure was undertaken by a team of vets and doctors from Langford Vets and Bristol Children’s Hospital.

The pacemaker, known as a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS), is thought to significantly reduce the need for medication. Tom Harcourt-Brown, veterinary neurologist at Langford Vets, told BBC News the treatment was “rarely curative” but “potentially life-saving”.

Epilepsy is a common condition in dogs, and yet despite this, it can be very difficult and expensive to treat with medication. Fitting the VNS, a device commonly used in children who suffer from medically unresponsive seizures, cost around £5,000 and is not normally covered by pet insurance.

Mike Carter, paediatric neurosurgeon at Bristol Children’s Hospital, said: "As we know, many human treatments start off as treatments that are either trialled or in some way propagated in the animal population.

"And it may well be that there are in fact benefits to humans from observing the way in which treatments work in animals as well. And that's very much what we're hoping for here."

Eva, the Jack Russell who underwent the surgery, has been on medication since her first seizure two years ago. She is now recovering well and is getting back to her usual playful self.



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