Diss woman thanks vets for life-saving surgery on Otis the puppy

A dog owner has praised cardiology specialists at a pioneering vets for saving her puppy’s life.

Cocker spaniel Otis was just 12-weeks-old when he was found to have a severe heart murmur and was diagnosed with a condition known as patent ductus arteriosus.

If left untreated, the condition could have led to him going into heart failure. It causes more than half of all affected dogs to die before their first birthday.

But, following corrective surgery at Dick White Referrals (DWR) Veterinary Specialists in Six Mile Bottom, Otis has been living life to the full and celebrated turning one on Sunday.

His happy owner, Tracey Keseru, from Diss, said: “Otis is my little sidekick. It is so nice to see him with an energy he did not have before and being able to play with my other dogs.

“The four weeks of cage rest required after his surgery was tough for a little puppy, but we got through it and now he is just a normal, healthy cocker spaniel.”

Laurent Locquet, cardiology consultant at DWR, who carried out Otis’ operation, said she was pleased to play a part in his recovery.

He said: “Patent ductus arteriosus is a connection between the two main arteries leaving the heart which normally closes after birth, but sometimes remains open.

“This allows continuous shunting of blood between these vessels, which can, if left untreated or undiagnosed, result in heart failure.

“Otis’ surgery was a complete success and we are so pleased to see him back living life to the full with his family.”

Ms Keseru, who is a dog breeder and has 12 dogs of her own, said she chose Otis from his litter because of his calm, sweet temperament.

“It is just so wonderful to see him being able to celebrate his first birthday, because it is such a milestone – and one I did not think he would ever reach,” she said.

“I can’t thank the vets and staff at DWR Veterinary Specialists enough. What they do there is fantastic and I could not have asked for better treatment for Otis.”

In 2003, DWR was one of the UK’s first veterinary referral hospitals.

Last year, the site trebled in size after a £15 million redevelopment, making it one of Europe’s top specialist-led veterinary centres.