Vet who saved hero police dog’s life sets up specialist animal hospital in Co Down
A VET who featured on Britain’s Got Talent after saving the life of a police dog in England has just performed open-heart surgery on a puppy after opening Northern Ireland’s only specialist referral animal hospital.
Rob Adams (35) set up Northern Ireland Veterinary Specialists (NIVS) in Hillsborough, Co Down, with wife Julie Kavanagh, who is the only cardiologist vet in Ireland.
Originally from Monmouth in Wales, Rob made headlines in 2016 and featured on the TV show after battling to save Alsation Finn, who sustained a wound from a teenager wielding a 10-inch knife.
The animal sustained the life-threatening injury while protecting his handler Constable Dave Wardell.
The attack prompted the Government to introduce Finn’s Law in England, making it an offence to harm or abuse an animal serving in the line of duty.
The couple opened NIVS along with colleagues Julie Hamilton-elliott and Aidan Mcalinden in January this year.
The clinic offers cardiologist and surgical procedures.
Eight months later the team is now welcoming owners from across the island who are desperate for their pets to receive specialist veterinary care. One such animal was Coco, a seven-monthold female miniature schnauzer.
She was born with rare heart defect Cor triatriatum dexter (CTD), leaving her with a swollen abdomen full of fluid caused by heart failure.
Without the help of the clinic the pooch, whose owners travelled from Dublin, would only have a life expectancy of one or two months, Julie explained.
“This little dog was initially a patient of mine who had come to us because she had clinical signs of heart failure,” she said.
“I did an ultrasound of her heart and diagnosed this rare heart defect where the right atrium is basically separated by a membrane which shouldn’t be there. And this membrane is obstructing her blood flow to her heart, causing heart failure.”
Two separate attempts at a less invasive procedure proved unsuccessful, leaving open-heart surgery the only option.
Julie stressed it was a “do or die” situation, with the operation being performed by Rob.
“The whole surgery itself was just shy of an hour and 45 minutes, but we only had a small window in which to do the important bit, in terms of the heart,” he revealed.
“For the surgery you essentially have to cause a cardiac arrest such that there is no breathing and the heart has no output.
“Now, you can only survive for a short period of time like that.
“So you have to do the important part of the surgery within four minutes.
“The longer you go over that, the less chance of success.
“Once you start hitting six or eight minutes the dog’s probably not going to make it.”
Fortunately in Coco’s case it was achieved in under three-anda-half minutes.
“It was incredibly challenging surgery for us to be involved in,” he added.
“But that’s why we’re here, to provide those specialist services and push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
He said it had been “incredibly gratifying” to save Coco’s life.
“She’s now much more what a puppy should be like,” he added.
“It could be a once-in-career case for us.
“It might not be, and we might see more cases in the future, and if that’s the case, then we’ll be well prepared for it.”
He said it was an “amazing” experience witnessing the puppy being reunited with her grateful owners.
❝ That’s why we are here, to provide those specialist services and push the boundaries