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To get to the bottom of why baby Thor was experiencing regular regurgitation, he was referred to our Internal Medicine team.

🩻 X-rays revealed that Thor had a congenital condition called a persistent right aortic arch (PRAA). In this condition, the aorta develops on the right side of the heart instead of the normal location on the left. This causes a constricting ligament around the oesophagus, just in front of the heart. This constricting ligament was making it difficult for food to pass into his stomach properly, which explained the regurgitation.

The recommended treatment for PRAA is surgery to relieve the constriction. A couple of weeks later, Thor returned to The Ralph to be seen by our surgeon, Daniella. Under anaesthesia, a thoracotomy was performed – this is where an incision is made between the ribs to access the chest. The ligament causing the constriction was carefully dissected free and transected. A chest drain was temporarily placed to remove any air or blood accumulating following the surgery.

Thor recovered in our ICU and did exceptionally well, so much so that he was able to go home just two days after surgery ❤️‍🩹

Following the surgery, Thor stayed on a soft food diet, with the texture gradually increasing over the next 4 – 6 weeks. He was also fed in an elevated position during his recovery to help prevent any risk of food entering the lungs. As he improved, these precautions were slowly eased, allowing him to return to his normal puppy life! 🫶

Thank you for reading about Thor’s story. For regular team and patient wholesomeness, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Take care!

Team Ralph 🐾