Winston's Trip to the Vet - Echo-Cardiogram

We were up bright and early this morning so little mister could go to the vet for his heart tests. I had to have him there between 8:00 and 8:30 and its a bit of a jaunt from our place to the vet - adding in rush hour traffic meant walking out the door around 7:25.

Winston was not a happy camper in the car so I let him out of his carrier and let him lay in his bed with his blanket and his bear - I brought them because I wasn't sure how long he would be at the vet's office and wanted him to be comfortable and have things he recognized.  That seemed to calm him down - he laid in there for the duration of the trip.  Once we got there I got him back in his carrier and into the office.  I signed his anesthesia authorization forms, gave him some pets and let them take him back to the back.  I'll be honest and say there were a few stressful tears in the parking lot.

It took what felt like forever but around 11:45 they called with the results.

Winston has an atrial septal defect which is congenital.  While in the womb there is an opening between the upper chambers of the heart to allow blood to flow around the lungs.  Typically this opening closes up by the time piglets are born - sometimes shortly there after.  In Winston's case it did not close which is why they were able to hear the murmur with the stethoscope.

Don't panic - because fortunately the hole is teeny tiny and not causing any issues.  His heart is functioning normally and his inputs/outputs are exactly where they should be.  There is no recommended course of treatment for him because this is basically a non issue!  Hooray!

So - later this month we can safely put him under to do his neuter and after that he should be done with needing to visit the vet for a bit!

I have decided that sometime over the weekend we need to load up the pig and the dog and take them for a ride so that Winston gets used to going in the car to places other than the vet.  I don't want going in the car to be stressful for him.  He is most definitely a part of the family - Emma looked for him all morning and was thrilled when I brought him home.  Winston was so happy to see both Emma and Oliver - it was very sweet.

So things here are all good and my heart can rest easy tonight - so relieved!!