Hearts United In A House Divided
Story by Rachel Knight, VMBS Marketing & Communications
Photo by Ryleigh Rejcek, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
After a Texas A&M University veterinary team saved his beloved border collie, a University of Kentucky Wildcats fan also began rooting for the Texas A&M Aggies.
Robert “Bobby” Harrod is many things — a retired member of the emergency medical services (EMS), a border collie-loving pet owner, and a fan of the University of Kentucky’s basketball team. One thing he never imagined he’d be is a Texas A&M University fan.
But when his service dog Sissy needed help from one of the top veterinary cardiology services in the country, he learned what Texas A&M stands for, finding that the university holds the same values he employed in a 31-year career with the EMS.
After working with cardiologists at the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital (SATH), Harrod and Sissy now have a spot in their hearts for the university.
Sharing A Special Bond
Harrod was born and raised on the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up with border collies, which led him to fall in love with the herding dogs best known for their high energy and even temperaments.
Harrod also grew up with a dream to serve as an EMS member.
“I always wanted to do EMS, and right out of high school I started a career in the system as an EMT,” Harrod said. “It was something I ended up loving. I retired in January as a medic after serving in the Louisville and Southern Indiana 911 districts for over 30 years.”
Sissy has been trained as a service animal — initially to help Harrod manage his diabetes.
“She’ll sense the highs and lows of my blood sugar and she’ll retrieve my medications. If I can’t take my medications or if I become unresponsive, she’ll alert somebody,” Harrod said.
More recently, Harrod began training Sissy to help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I have some nightmares from EMS, and she is training to wake me up when those start,” Harrod said. “I’d love to take her around some of the hospitals for military veterans and to different EMS locations like firehouses, police stations, and EMT groups to help serve them as well. She’s just incredible, and I can’t imagine life without her. She’s with me everywhere I go, and we enjoy serving together.”
Matters Of The Heart
Harrod and Sissy were preparing for a trip to Poland to volunteer at the Ukraine border when their plans suddenly changed.
“We went to a veterinarian to get her health certificate in order to fly overseas,” Harrod said. “The veterinarian noticed that her heart rate was much lower than usual. He let me know he didn’t expect it to be a result of anything out of the ordinary, but to be thorough, he did a quick EKG, which measures the electrical activity of the heart. The EKG revealed that his initial guess was wrong. He diagnosed her with third-degree AV block.”
Third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block means that the electrical signals are not able to be carried through the heart so that it can beat properly. This leads to very slow heart rates, which can cause collapse episodes and, if left untreated, can lead to death. The veterinarian explained that the only treatment for Sissy’s heart was a pacemaker, but no veterinarians in Kentucky could perform the surgery.
“The vet got on the phone, and I got on the computer,” Harrod said. “I learned that Texas A&M has the best program, so I sent an email and the cardiology team called right away to let me know they could help Sissy.”
Seventeen hours later, Harrod and Sissy arrived at the SATH, where they were greeted by the cardiology service.
The Race To Save Sissy
Dr. Samantha Eisner, a second-year cardiology resident in the SATH, led the effort to save Sissy’s life.
“We try to address cardiology problems as quickly as possible, especially things like third-degree AV block,” Eisner said. “If a third-degree AV block is not treated, it can cause the patient to develop collapse episodes or, in the worst-case scenarios, they can die from it because their heart is not able to pump properly to deliver oxygen to the vital organs of the body. So, when an owner like Bobby is willing to pursue treatment, we try to move quickly.”
Eisner also explained that a dog’s heart rate is typically around 120 beats per minute, but Sissy’s heart rate was down to just 35 when she arrived at the SATH.
“Sissy flew through surgery like a champ,” Eisner said. “The pacemaker is a life saver for animals like Sissy. The reason the top and bottom chambers of her heart are losing the ability to communicate is because she has a damaged node, which means that it can’t pass along the electrical signals that cause the heart to beat. The pacemaker bypasses the damaged node and stimulates contractions from inside the heart.”
A Reunion To Remember
Photo by Jason Nitsch ’14, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Before Harrod’s reunion with Sissy, Eisner and Everett Lowenstein, a fourth-year veterinary student, met with him to discuss her surgery and recovery over the next few months. Thanks to the generosity of donors, Eisner was also able to share an extra bit of good news.
In addition to Sissy’s pacemaker being donated, Harrod’s service with EMS meant he qualified for financial help in paying Sissy’s bill from the Veterinary Valor Program, which supports active military, veterans and first responders in caring for their pets at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). Sissy also received support from donors to the Heart Trust, which helps provide financial help to cardiology patients at the VMTH.
“I am very thankful,” Harrod said. “I hope the other owner who donated the pacemaker hears about Sissy and finds comfort in knowing that the pacemaker went to a good cause and is helping Sissy live out her life.
“It also meant a lot to know that there are people who are willing to support retired first responders like me and dogs who suddenly need a cardiologist like Sissy,” he said. “I’m on a fixed income, which means unexpected expenses are more challenging now. When I talked to Dr. Eisner on Tuesday, she said, ‘We’ll make it happen. Just get here.’ I couldn’t have done it without the financial support.”
Eisner said donors who contribute to the Veterinary Valor Program and the Heart Trust funds make her job both easier and more enjoyable.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who contributes to these funds,” she said. “When we hear about a service animal in a life-or-death situation, we know there are actually two lives at stake. To be able to help Bobby and Sissy is incredible. He’s helped save countless lives, so it’s really meaningful to have the donor support that empowered us to help him and Sissy.”
Thanks to Sissy’s Texas A&M cardiology team, Harrod said his loyalties will now be divided when the Kentucky Wildcats face off against the Texas A&M Aggies.
###
For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at vetmed.tamu.edu or join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu, 979-862-4216
