TWO failed Holter Monitors

[kaloric]

That's a great article, and yes, it's just another thing that seems to support the thought that idiopathic SCD (I think I'll call the variety that doesn't appear to be a symptom of diagnosed DCM) is something different.

I think it also underscores how little is really known about the condition, even in humans, because they can't pin-down why there might be a decrease idiopathic SCD, but if screening is more prevalent, it seems like they should know how about how many concerning arrhythmia were caught in pre-rostering screening. They seem to say it's 1:63,000 overall, 1:8,188/1:2000 for basketball players, 4x more common in men than women, and 3x more prevalent in black athletes than caucasian ones.

I don't recall ever seeing a breakdown on DCM incidence in male vs. female Dobes, that's another good one to pin down numbers on, it seems highly likely that it's higher overall, and the onsent is generally sooner in males. It would also follow that idiopathic SCD would be a similar percentage breakdown between genders as well.

Would it make sense to include a strenuous-exercise session with the holter, which I'd assume they'd do with the human athletes?

 

[JanS]

Just an update on this, we have decided to do a third attempt. We are going in this Wednesday. They’ll hook him up and have us wait 20 minutes there and then they’ll re check the device to make sure it’s recording.

How did that go?

 

[Sage024]

How did that go?

we just heard back this morning! It recorded 24 hours and 40 minutes (woo!) and he only had 3 abnormal heartbeats in that entire period, so based on that, no concern of DCM! She’s on PTO all next week until after thanksgiving so she hasn’t written up the report but based on the initial results she wanted to let me know.

I emailed her back to thank her and was also wondering what the 3 abnormal beats mean. I’m not familiar with this so not sure if she’s compared the data to my diary I kept for his activity and such.

 

[Rits]

we just heard back this morning! It recorded 24 hours and 40 minutes (woo!) and he only had 3 abnormal heartbeats in that entire period, so based on that, no concern of DCM! She’s on PTO all next week until after thanksgiving so she hasn’t written up the report but based on the initial results she wanted to let me know.

I emailed her back to thank her and was also wondering what the 3 abnormal beats mean. I’m not familiar with this so not sure if she’s compared the data to my diary I kept for his activity and such.

Likely he only had 3 single VPCS in a 24 hour period. Anything 50 and under is considered normal. Even our hearts will occasionally miss a beat. Its when there are multiple singles in an hour or runs when it raises concern. Those are great results and great that everything worked this time! Good idea to check yearly now. In the future, you could always rent a holter and send the data to alba medical to read then forward that to your cardiologist to save some of the hassle/money.

 

[Sage024]

Likely he only had 3 single VPCS in a 24 hour period. Anything 50 and under is considered normal. Even our hearts will occasionally miss a beat. Its when there are multiple singles in an hour or runs when it raises concern. Those are great results and great that everything worked this time! Good idea to check yearly now. In the future, you could always rent a holter and send the data to alba medical to read then forward that to your cardiologist to save some of the hassle/money.

That’s good to know, I was wondering if any abnormal beats were cause for concern but I feel like she would have said so in the email. So if 50 and under is normal and he only had 3, then that sounds really good! And yes I may in the future do that…we are moving from Atlanta to Raleigh at the end of our lease term, so I do wonder if it will be any cheaper over there to do these tests. But I hear most Dobie owners who do it themselves use Alba, I know our breeder does.

 

[Sage024]

I’m at a loss here. kanda had his EKG two weeks ago and his first Holter monitor went on the same day. Cardiologist hooked it all up and sent him home. I recorded his activity in a diary for 24hrs and brought the cardio kit back the same day it finished. A few days later I get a call that it didn’t record any data, so we go back in a few days later for a second attempt. Different device this time, different brand. Did the whole 24hrs all over again and returned the kit and today I get an email from the cardiologist saying when she went to read the digital data it came up with an error that it needed at least 2 mins of data to read. Meaning…it probably also didn’t record anything.

I’m at a loss here. The cardiologist is going to talk to the company the monitor is from on Monday to see if the data is there or not. If it’s not she offered three options.

- don’t do the holter anymore
- do the Holter but with a full chest wrap
- use a zio patch, which is a device for humans but we can try it on him.

I’m super stressed about this. Kanda hates going to the vet. It’s a big stress to him every time. And we’ve now removed adhesive bandages from his shaved spot twice now and each time it’s been painful, stressful and time consuming because he gets very agitated and scared and won’t let me spray it with easy off. We need to have this test done. What would you do? I dread the full chest wrap considering how awful it’s been just trying to get off the adhesives we have done already. I’ve never heard of anyone using a zio patch. And I don’t see not doing the Holter at all as an option.

What could be going wrong?? For reference I’ve attached some images of the shaved area where they attach the leads

Another update, 3rd attempt was a charm! Did the full chest wrap and it recorded 24hrs and 40 minutes. I don’t have the full write up yet, I will post later for anyone who wants to compare. But since the cardiologist is about to be out of office for thanksgiving she emailed me to let me know that his results were good and it only recorded 3 single abnormal beats in the whole 24hrs, so she’s not at all concerned about DCM right now with him! Music to my ears I will be getting him checked yearly now to keep an eye on his heart size and function. But good news going into the holidays. Thank you guys for your advice and support

 

[JanS]

That's great news!

 

[Kaiser2016]

Great news and what a relief now that it's been done successfully! Love the pics, especially with the green ball! Looks like a happy boy!

 

[JanS]

Well now I'm pretty bummed. I rented a holter kit from a DPCA chapter club and put it on a couple days ago for the full 24 hours. It had a very strong signal but I got the report back this morning and it lost the connection after 3 hours of recording. They sent an extra set of electrodes so we did it again today wrapping it even more, and used the holter vest both times. I shaved the area and used alcohol both times like the instructions said but within 3 hours the wires and connections were hanging out of the vest today. He had his echo a couple weeks ago and I really need to get the holter done but I have to send it back now.

 

[Rits]

Well now I'm pretty bummed. I rented a holter kit from a DPCA chapter club and put it on a couple days ago for the full 24 hours. It had a very strong signal but I got the report back this morning and it lost the connection after 3 hours of recording. They sent an extra set of electrodes so we did it again today wrapping it even more, and used the holter vest both times. I shaved the area and used alcohol both times like the instructions said but within 3 hours the wires and connections were hanging out of the vest today. He had his echo a couple weeks ago and I really need to get the holter done but I have to send it back now.

I don't wrap the nodes at all besides using the vest and the Velcro strap around the chest area to secure the monitor on the back. I also don't shave since we show and get readings just fine. If the wires are too taught that can cause them to pop off when they move. I would also separate him from Olive the entire time.

 

[JanS]

I don't wrap the nodes at all besides using the vest and the Velcro strap around the chest area to secure the monitor on the back

Good to know. I was wondering if it might be the tape pulling them loose.
I went to our hospitals medical supply store today to try to get some more and she said they're prescription only, even though I told her it was for a dog. I can easily order them online without one but I need to return the holter before they'd come.

 

[Rits]

I can easily order them online without one but I need to return the holter before they'd come.

They have a decent shelf life I believe as long as you don't open the bag they come in so it can't hurt to have extras on hand since you will want to holter yearly and have two dogs to run it on.

 

[JanS]

it can't hurt to have extras on hand since you will want to holter yearly and have two dogs to run it on.

That's what I was thinking too and I'd like to get Olive on the same schedule since the health clinics are in the fall around here. I sent a message to the guy from the chapter club to see if I could hang on to it for another week or so I can try to get it done while it's here. I don't really want to have to pay the full rental fee again since it's already here but of course I will pay something extra since I'd be tying it up a little longer.

Here is the video they told me to refer to.

 

[strykerdobe]

Combining Echoes and Holter's results are very important. Since Echoes are usually only done for about 10min. They only might show PVC's such as Runs (which Holter will detect) if there are a lot of them within that 10min.
Echoes are very detailed to show Heart structure and dimensions of the Heart. Other things like valves, Blood Flow, dimensions of Heart chambers, dimensions of Heart wall thickness.

We started yearly Holter's and Echos at 2yrs old until 5yrs. Then at 5yrs Holter 2x's a year and still Echo 1x a year.
Also, from 5yrs on we do a 48hr Holter's. We also do what they do on a normal day such as running chasing a ball. Don't let them be a couch potato.

Yes, dog clubs in your area they might Health Clinics which do Echoes and Eye testing. Or even at big dogs shows.

 

[JanS]

dog clubs in your area they might Health Clinics which do Echoes and Eye testing. Or even at big dogs shows.

Yes, I'm very thankful that this has recently started in this area so we don't have to drive so darn far for the echo.

As a follow up, I contacted the very nice guy I was dealing with from the DPCA chapter club and he told me to go ahead and hang on to the holter kit and order some more electrodes so I was very thankful for that. They've already been shipped so hopefully we can get it done by the end of the week.