4176 Meridian Street
Bellingham, WA 98226
(360) 758-2200
24/7 Emergency Care
Bellingham, WA 98226
24/7 Emergency Care
Patient Details
Name: Stormy
Breed: Saint Bernard
Age: 8½ years at the time of treatment
Service
Department: Surgery
Procedure Date: Summer 2025 (confirm exact date)
Quick Facts
Stormy was referred to Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital after repeated episodes of fluid accumulating around her heart caused life-threatening compression and collapse. Despite evaluation by multiple cardiologists, no underlying cause could be identified.
Following a minimally invasive thoracoscopic pericardectomy performed by the Surgery Service, Stormy recovered well and returned to her active life. With no evidence of cancer and no recurrence of fluid accumulation, her long-term outlook is excellent.
Stormy was more than a beloved family pet. The accomplished Saint Bernard had earned her Grand Championship title, competed in multiple dog sports, produced the family’s first litter, and served as Allison’s mobility service dog. At eight and a half years old, she remained an active and deeply important member of the Hall family.
Just weeks before Stormy became ill, the family unexpectedly lost Ava, Stormy’s four-year-old daughter and Allison’s next mobility service dog. As they were grieving, Stormy began showing subtle but concerning changes. Her normally voracious appetite disappeared, she became lethargic, and her abdomen gradually began to swell.
“If Stormy doesn’t want to eat, something’s wrong,” her owners recall. “That’s go-to-the-emergency-room
time.”
During a trip to a Saint Bernard specialty show in Oregon, her condition worsened rapidly. Within hours, her abdomen appeared noticeably enlarged, and she became increasingly restless. Emergency evaluation revealed fluid accumulating around her heart—a life-threatening condition known as pericardial effusion that can prevent the heart from filling and pumping blood normally.
Over the following weeks, Stormy was evaluated by her primary care veterinarian, emergency clinicians, and multiple cardiologists. Although repeated procedures temporarily relieved the fluid, it continued to return. With no obvious cause identified and concern that an undetected tumor might be responsible, Stormy was referred to the Surgery Service at Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital for advanced evaluation and treatment.
Repeated episodes of pericardial effusion are often associated with an underlying disease, most commonly a heart-base tumor or another condition affecting the tissues surrounding the heart. Before recommending surgery, it was essential to determine whether an underlying cause could be identified.
Over several weeks, Stormy underwent an extensive diagnostic workup that included repeated echocardiograms, advanced imaging, and evaluation by three board-certified veterinary cardiologists. Despite these investigations, no evidence of a tumor or another identifiable cause was found.
Stormy was diagnosed with idiopathic pericardial effusion—a condition in which fluid repeatedly accumulates within the sac surrounding the heart (the pericardium) without an identifiable underlying cause.
“For Stormy, that diagnosis was actually encouraging,” explains Dr. Milan Milovancev. “When idiopathic pericardial effusion is confirmed, surgery can provide an excellent long-term outcome.”
For Stormy’s family, finally ruling out cancer brought enormous relief.
“We wanted to be absolutely certain there wasn’t a tumor before putting her through surgery,” her owners explain. “Once everyone agreed there wasn’t an underlying cancer, we knew surgery was the right decision.”
Rather than performing a traditional open-chest surgery, the procedure was completed using small ports and a camera, allowing the surgical team to carefully remove the majority of the pericardium while minimizing tissue trauma and postoperative pain.
Dr. Milan explains that recent studies have shown removing most of the pericardial sac provides better long-term results than creating a small “window,” an older technique that can allow fluid to accumulate again.
The procedure included:
Biopsy results confirmed there was no evidence of cancer or another underlying disease, supporting the diagnosis of idiopathic pericardial effusion.
“We were prepared to do whatever she needed,” her owners recall. “Once we knew there wasn’t a tumor, surgery was absolutely the right decision.”
Stormy recovered well following surgery. Although the original plan was for her to return to the family’s RV that evening, she remained overnight for monitoring because the procedure was more involved than initially expected. Her owners appreciated the team’s communication throughout the day and felt well prepared for her recovery at home.
“When her incision opened a little because she was feeling so good, we were able to send photos instead of driving all the way back to Bellingham,” they said. “The team talked us through everything, and she healed really well.”
Today, Stormy continues to enjoy life with the Hall family, including her important role as Allison’s mobility service dog. Following surgery, she returned to her normal personality and activity, with no recurrence of the life-threatening episodes that first brought her to specialty care. Although she is now managing unrelated age-related orthopedic changes, her heart condition has remained resolved.
For Stormy’s family, the surgery provided something they feared they might lose—more time with a dog who had already given so much to their lives. As a Grand Champion, accomplished performance dog, mother of the family’s first litter, and trusted service dog, Stormy is much more than a pet.
“We’re super happy that we did the surgery,” her owners say. “We would not have her with us if we hadn’t.”
The family is also grateful that this highly specialized, minimally invasive procedure was available close enough to home to make treatment possible.
Throughout Stormy’s care—from consultation through surgery, hospitalization, and follow-up—they felt supported by the entire team.
“The whole care team was super communicative throughout the whole process. We always felt comfortable with the decisions that were being made and with what we needed to do to take care of her afterwards.”
For families facing a similar diagnosis, their advice is simple.
“We couldn’t be more thankful for the care we got. If any of our puppy owners ever face something like this, we’ll absolutely send them to Boundary Bay.”
Stormy’s case demonstrates how close collaboration between cardiology and surgery, combined with minimally invasive techniques, can provide an excellent long-term outcome for dogs with idiopathic pericardial effusion.
For the Hall family, it meant something even simpler.
More time with Stormy.
Please fill in your contact details and a message below. We’ll be sure to contact you within the next business day.
Alternately, call (360) 758-2200, email bellingham@bbvsh.com, or fax 1 (888) 867-6928.
If you have an emergency, please call (360) 758-2200.