Success Stories

Moo, March 2000

Moo (short for Mufasa, from The Lion King) was found as a stray at a very young age. He lived with a family who knew he had a serious heart problem but decided not to investigate or do anything about it. When Moo was about 2 1/2 , this family decided they didn't want Moo anymore and if they couldn't find a home, Moo would just be put to sleep.

A caring couple in the Midwest found out about Moo and his situation and decided to adopt him. They brought Moo home to Bloomington, Indiana on their very first wedding anniversary, which was a special present for them both. Once Moo arrived, it became clear that he had been abused at his old home. Moo eventually gained confidence and made great friends with his new Lab brother, Cooper.

After taking Moo to their vet, his new family decided to have Moo's heart problem (all they knew at that point was that it was a murmur) checked out at Purdue Vet Hospital. A heart surgery specialist found that Moo suffered from pulmonic stenosis and that he was born with the condition. Pulmonic stenosis means that one of Moo's heart valves was practically closed shut. As a result, Moo had a very loud heart murmur and his heart had to work extremely hard to pump blood. This also meant that the pressure in the valve was high. Actually, normal pressure is around 60-80 and Moo's pressure was 200! The heart specialist proposed that Moo undergo a balloon procedure where he would lead a balloon through Moo's arteries and place it into the valve. Once inside the valve, he would blow up the balloon to open the valve. Without at least trying the procedure, the surgeon explained that Moo could die at any time and certainly would not live much past 5 years old. That was not acceptable to his new mom and dad, so they started looking for help.

Through funding grants from LABMED, CILRA (Central Indiana Lab Rescue and Adoption), Purdue University and Labrador Life Line, Moo's surgery was made possible. Moo had the procedure in March of 2000, and it was a HUGE success!! Moo's pressure reading dropped from 200 to around 100 just after the procedure. Since the surgery, the pressure has dropped even further. Moo just recently went for his 6-month check-up and received another great report. His pressure level remains about the same and hasn't gone up one bit! Even better, Moo's spunkiness and ability to play with Cooper has sky-rocketed! LABMED is happy to have participated in this wonderful rescue.