Meet Aggie — an 11-year-old Terrier with a heart as big as her personality. Aggie was brought to our St Austell branch with a very bloated tummy. It was clear something serious was going on, and our team quickly arranged for her to be transferred to our St Columb hospital for urgent investigations.
An ultrasound revealed that Aggie’s abdomen was full of fluid, and more worryingly, she was suffering from a pericardial effusion — a dangerous condition where fluid collects inside the sac (called the pericardium) surrounding the heart. This build-up puts pressure on the heart, preventing it from pumping effectively. As a result, fluid starts accumulating in the abdomen, just like in Aggie’s case.
Aggie was sedated that same day, and we carefully drained the fluid from around her heart. This gave her heart immediate relief and allowed it to beat more effectively again.
Pericardial effusion can be caused by a number of things, including tumours, but a detailed heart ultrasound performed by our diagnostics vet, James, showed no obvious abnormalities. In Aggie’s case, we suspected her condition was idiopathic — meaning it developed without a clear underlying cause.
While she recovered well from the initial episode, the fluid unfortunately kept coming back. Over the next few months, she needed three more procedures to drain it. These repeated setbacks meant Aggie wasn’t able to enjoy her usual long runs on the beach — something she truly loved. It was time to consider a more permanent solution.