Saving Lola

Monday, January 25, 2016

“I’ve waited about 20 years to get a puppy and my husband surprised me with her,” said Lori Waugh of Lawton, Okla., as she cuddled Lola, her Bichon puppy. “She was a gift from him. We found out three weeks after we had her and were very attached to her, that she was sick.”

The puppy was suffering from a congenital heart defect called patent ductus arteriosus that had resulted in congestive heart failure.   

“Lola’s family veterinarian referred her to OSU to determine the congenital heart defect and determine if surgical or medical intervention was possible,” said Dr. Ryan Baumwart, veterinary cardiologist at OSU’s Veterinary Medical Hospital. “A patent ductus arteriosus is an extra blood vessel that she shouldn’t have had.  We got her out of congestive heart failure with some drugs. We were able to send her to surgery with Dr. Danielle Dugat, a board certified veterinary surgeon on faculty at the hospital. She was able to put a suture around the blood vessel and ligate the blood vessel. However, we had a complication during surgery that Dr. Dugat was able to get her through. There was some bleeding caused from placing that suture. Dr. Dugat was able to stop the bleeding which could have resulted in Lola’s death.”

“We had no idea she was sick,” added Waugh.  “Our home vet contacted OSU’s veterinary hospital and one thing led to another and we ended up here. And I’m so thankful because I don’t really think she would have had a chance if she hadn’t come here.”

OSU’s Veterinary Medical Hospital is open to the public for wellness veterinary medical care and for specialty referral cases. The hospital sees close to 12,100 companion animal cases a year. Lola is just one of the hospital’s many success stories.