CONTENTS:
What & why??
Which breeds?
About testing
Buying a monitor
Renting a monitor
Sample heart reports
Shaving/Position of Electrodes
APEX HOME
CONTENTS:
What & why??
Which breeds?
About testing
Buying a monitor
Renting a monitor
Sample heart reports
Shaving/Position of Electrodes
APEX HOME
CONTENTS:
What & why??
Which breeds?
About testing
Buying a monitor
Renting a monitor
Sample heart reports
Shaving/Position of Electrodes
APEX HOME
CONTENTS:
What & why??
Which breeds?
About testing
Buying a monitor
Renting a monitor
Sample heart reports
Shaving/Position of Electrodes
APEX HOME
CONTENTS:
What & why??
Which breeds?
About testing
Buying a monitor
Renting a monitor
Sample heart reports
Shaving/Position of Electrodes
APEX HOME
CONTENTS:
What & why??
Which breeds?
About testing
Buying a monitor
Renting a monitor
Sample heart reports
Shaving/Position of Electrodes
APEX HOME
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CONTENTS OF THIS SITE:
What is a 24 hour heart monitor and why use it?
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Which breeds need holter checks?
| About dog hearts and testing
| Buying a holter monitor
| Renting a holter monitor
| Borrowing the Apex holter
| Sample heart reports
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Shaving/Position of Electrodes
This page last updated Jan 2010
A company called Petcardiology has plagiarised material from my website for use in promoting their holter service. They never contacted me for permission, and their responses when I raised the issue demonstrated a lack of professionalism and integrity. As they're not capable of writing their own guides to using a holter, and not honest enough to acknowledge sources, they're not a company I would do business with! There are plenty of other holter services (I provide links below).
What is a 24 hour heart monitor and why use it?
A 24 hour heart monitor is a device your dog wears that records their heart beats over an extended period of time (picture below). It can detect heart problems that other tests can't - in particular, forms of cardiomyopathy (more about heart problems below).
Why use a 24 hour heart monitor? Well, my personal experience is a good example. My first dog was a fit and seemingly healthy show bitch from good lines who had been 'health tested' as throughly as was available. She was hip scored, free of heart murmurs, and she had even had a long ECG done. She died before she reached 5 years old - no hint of a problem until she collapsed for the first time.
As her devoted owner, I wish I'd had some warning - she could have been put on medication earlier to give her a longer active life.
As a dog breeder, I also wish I could have known because she'd had pups before we knew there was anything wrong! And yes, some of her pups lived short lives, also with no symptoms until the end - one died age only 3 years! There are plenty of dogs from the same lines (and others with health problems) still being bred from in many countries around the world.
So, why use a 24 hour heart monitor? Well, because it gives you the best possible chance of avoiding having (or producing) a walking time bomb.
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Which breeds benefit from heart holter checks?
Lots of breeds can suffer from cardiomyopathy which can be hard to detect in its early stages – that’s why the 24 hour test is useful. Here are the breeds identified as being prone to cardiomyopathy:
Bouvier de Flanders, Boxer, Bull Mastiff, Cocker Spaniel, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhound, Labrador Retriever, Newfoundland, Old English Sheepdog, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Saluki
(Source: Clinical cardiology concepts)
Note: Boxer Cardiomyopathy (BCM) is different from the disease in other breeds and is more correctly called 'Familial Ventricular Arrhythmia (FVA)' or 'Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)' as it's an electrical problem rather than a disease of the heart muscle itself - that's why it's so hard to detect! It's a bit like a heater with a damaged wire or connection inside - it may only short out sometimes without any outward sign, and the heater may seem good as new until you get a complete meltdown.
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About hearts and heart testing
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Renting a holter monitor
Where to rent from:
- Some cardiologists and vet schools offer holter services – prices vary hugely, and make sure you check whether the cost covers everything. Some places expect your dog to be hospitalised during the 24 hour period – not the ideal way to test as you want to capture how the heart functions during your dog's normal activities. Your dog should run around as usual, bark at the neighbours cat, get excited about visitors etc etc. To make the investment in the test worthwhile I think it’s best to try to over-excite your dog if anything – if there is anything wrong you want to catch it, not get a false clear test and waste your money.
- WSU Veterinary Cardiac Genetics Lab offers a holter service where they rent equipment (in the USA) and do analysis. This is run by Dr Meurs - a leading researcher of boxer heart problems.
- Dunedin South Vet Clinic in NZ offers a very reasonably priced holtering service, and they're open 7 days a week. A trip to Dunedin for this service (combined with a dog show?) could be a cheap easy way to have your dog checked.
- Some dog clubs in North America rent out holters, and some clubs in other parts of the world may start to also, so talk to your club secretary. If they don’t already own a holter, you may wish to encourage them to consider it (better still, why don’t you donate some money towards that?)
- Some individual dog breeders own holters and loan them out. I’m one of them (More details on using my holter below).
Analysis options
As well as getting access to the holter monitor unit you also need to arrange to have the recording of your dog’s heart analysed.
Some cardiologists and vet schools offer holter tape reading services. Prices vary. The ideal way to have tapes analysed is when the recording is reviewed by a cardiologist. Dr Meurs at WSU offers this service for about US$65 (WSU Holter service). If you want a cheaper analysis option, Alba Medical (Alba Medical Canine Health Services)charge about US$30 per tape and provide a very detailled computer generated report (created with a technician overseeing the process). I have provided a sample report on separate page . My personal view is that for general screening the cheap option may be fine, but that at least some holters should be analysed by Dr Meurs as problems may be under or over-reported by the technician generated report.
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Buying a holter monitor
If you are interested in puchasing a monitor for yourself (or your club), prices range from a US$500 for a refurbished analog machine, through to US$1500 for a brand new digital monitor. I have found the reconditioned 2nd hand holters sold by Alba Medical Canine Health Services to be reliable. I have had mine for several years and it has taken quite a beating yet still operates perfectly.
Other supplies you may need:
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Bandages/tape for securing leads
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Harness or vest for securing holter
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Testing kit for each dog (electrodes, tape, diary, alcohol swabs, packaging & post)
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Shaver for preparing patches of skin for electrodes (if you choose to shave)
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Replacement leads from time to time
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Cleaning solution for removing sticky electrode residue.
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And of course you need to pay to have each heart recording analysed.
Read the information under How does borrowing a holter from Apex Boxers work? below for further information about how holtering actually works in terms of preparing your dog etc.
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How does borrowing a holter from Apex Boxers work?
 I offer my privately owned holter (picture at right) for use in Australia and New Zealand for the good of the dogs not for profit. It is a small light weight analog (tape) recorder with 7 leads. So far it has been used on different breeds and using different set up approaches and has only once not produced a good long reading time (and in that instance it was a rushed set up and the owner had not prepped the dog as requested)
NB: This is not a business. Arrangements for use of the holter are therefore simply a matter of contacting me and seeing what would suit us both – no hard and fast rules and no guarantees of the holter being available. Prices also subect to change as they're based on costs. I've provided some information below on what's involved in borrowing my holter.
Options and costs:
OPTION 1: I organise absolutely everything, including all supplies, me attaching the monitor to the dog, packing/shipping tapes via airmail, and paying for the analysis to be done by Alba Medical. Total cost is NZ$120 or AUD$110 per dog. So this one charge covers everything right up to you getting the full report on your dog’s heart and all you have to do is turn up to have the monitor put on your dog, and turn up again the next day to have it removed. (The cost includes P&P so cost can decrease if several tapes are able to be posted together, or if we find cheaper postage options).
OPTION 2: I provide test supplies and attach monitor to dog, you are responsible for all arrangements/costs to get tape analysed (ideal if you have a cheap way of getting tapes to the USA; if you want to use a different analysis service; or if you want to spread costs out rather than paying in one lump). Total cost is NZ$50 or AUD$45 per dog.
Preparation:
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Contact me to organise when and where (or IF) we can meet - I will not post my holter out to people, it gets used only when I am there to ensure it's attached securely. I travel a bit around both New Zealand and Australia so it's a matter of whether we can coordinate a meeting.
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You may want to clip or shave some patches of hair on your dog for where electrodes go - this is your choice (This page gives details about your options for shaving etc.)
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Plan for a 24 hour period when you will be able to have your dog active but still able to keep an eye on them to ensure the holter is not damaged.
What is involved for the dog:
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Patches of hair may be clipped/shaved (This page gives details).
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Needs to be able to stand while the holter is attached – ie a totally out of control dog could be difficult to holter.
- Your dog may feel rather undignified during the 24hrs - the holter gives them a hunch back like a camel!(Click to view page that includes information on how a holtered dog looks).
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Sticky electrodes/tape will be attached to the shaved patches of skin so will need a good clean to get rid of the residue afterwards (a bit like the sticky stuff left on human skin after a bandaid is removed). You can buy orange oil based products for removing this.
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During the reading, the dog should be fine - most dogs forget about the holter after a short time. Occasionally, a dog may be a little uncomfortable if the harness rubs a little when in particular positions, but it’s minor discomfort that won’t last long.
What’s involved for you:
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We have to arrange a mutually convenient time and place to have me put the holter on your dog for you.
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I go through the paperwork with you
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You pay for the costs before leaving with my holter.
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You keep your dog under adequate supervision while it goes about normal activities wearing the holter. A good analogy is to think of your dog having stitches on their back and bandages over the top - that gives you an idea of the kind of supervision and care you need to take while they're wearing the holter. You'll avoid them being places where the bandages could get snagged on something, and also avoid other dogs jumping on them or chewing at the bandages. So, nothing too complicated, just common sense care.
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We meet again after about 24 hours to remove the holter.
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Depending on what service you decide on, either you or I send the tape off to be analysed.
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You wait for the detailed report to arrive in your email. (Sample report on separate page)
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The tape and report remain 100% confidential between you and ALBA medical – no one else has access to either unless you give it to them.
 For people I don’t know, a bond may need to be paid while you have my holter – held by me or by some third party. This would be refunded when the holter is returned.
Liability:
- If we don't get a decent reading because I haven't attached the electrodes well enough - ie there isn't even a short period of readable tape, then of course it's my fault and I bear most of the costs. If there is some readable tape but it stops after a time, then chances are your dog has managed to dislodge something so you bear the costs. Depending on the report you get, it may be that the test results are still useful, if not, contact me and we can see about giving it another go.
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If any leads are damaged you'll need to pay to replace them (about $70 for a set of leads, incl freight). This would only be likely to happen if you don’t supervise your dog as it takes a lot of effort for them to get at the leads to damage them (has never happened with my holter yet!).
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If the holter unit or harness is damaged while in your care then some contribution towards the costs of repair would be appropriate and this would be negotiated between us. The holter is pretty sturdy and can handle being bumped around through the normal activities of a dog. Damage is only likely to occur if the dog is not properly supervised – eg left to chew the bandages and harness off, left with other dogs, or left in an enclosure where the holter unit could get caught or crushed.
You would have to be pretty careless to damage the unit or the leads – common sense is normally enough to keep the equipment safe. As I’m not offering this service for the money, rest assured I will be fair if anything goes wrong.
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Any questions, don't hesitate to contact me - I am very happy to help anyone with boxer heart issues:
Daniela Rosenstreich, Email: .
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