Pacemaker Staffie

South Africans love their pets and will go to great lengths, and expense, to look after them! A Staffordshire Bull Terrier belonging to Rob and Bev McKenzie of KwaZulu-Natal, is especially loved. Rupert was recently rushed to Dr. Martin de Scalley at the Midlands Veterinary Clinic in Howick, where a Swiss pacemaker made for humans and valued at R40 000 was implanted into the 12-year-old dog to correct a heart condition that would have proved fatal if left untreated. Rupert had collapsed suddenly. His heartbeat slowed from its normal 120 beats per minute to 40. After blood tests and an ultrasound, Dr. de Scalley diagnosed a heart block. The Johannesburg-based Medtronic company heard of Rupert's plight and stepped in with a pacemaker. Wendy Watton, an ICU nurse from Medtronic, flew from Johannesburg to Durban, taking the pacemaker and instructions on how to implant it. The two-hour operation was a success. Rupert is a watermelon-loving Staffie who also loves avocados and bananas.