Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER): A Lifeline for the Canine Heart
Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) affects over 8 million dogs in the U.S., especially small breeds such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Dachshunds, Toy Poodles, and Chihuahuas.

Symptoms include:
• Coughing
• Reduced stamina
• Breathing difficulty
• Fainting
• Fluid buildup
• Shortened lifespan

Clinical perspective:
This is a progressive disease. Once it worsens to a certain stage, it significantly limits a dog’s lifespan, often reducing it to 6-12 months after symptomatic onset. Standard medications can relieve symptoms, but cannot fix the valve.

Human perspective:
When your dog is diagnosed, it can feel overwhelming like a clock is ticking. You might wonder: “What can I do now?” You are not alone and neither is your dog.

TEER offers a less-invasive solution, repairing the valve through a catheter instead of open surgery. In human medicine, it has revolutionized care in over 300,000 patients. At Tangible Vet Tech, we are adapting and improving this approach for dogs developing The Belka Series, a 3D-printed, hemocompatible mitral repair system tailored for small-breed canine hearts.

Current Options for Dogs with Mitral Valve Disease:

-Medication
Most dogs are treated with medication that reduces symptoms like coughing, fatigue, and fluid buildup. Drugs such as Pimobendan can improve quality of life, but they do not repair the valve or stop the disease, they simply manage its effects as the condition continues to progress.

-V-Clamp (Surgical-Catheter Delivered Repair)
At a few leading veterinary centers, surgeons can perform a surgically delivered catheter known as the V-Clamp procedure. This technique mechanically joins the leaking valve leaflets, similar to what is done in human cardiology. While less invasive than open heart surgery, it is performed by a small number of specialists and currently cannot meet nationwide demand.

-Open-Heart Valve Surgery
A handful of clinics around the world, including pioneering teams in Japan, perform open-heart mitral valve reconstruction. This can be a lifesaving, restorative repair, but requires advanced bypass machines, long recovery times, and specialized surgical training. As a result, very few dogs worldwide have access to this option.

How Our Approach Is Different - Our goal: to make advanced heart repair accessible, affordable, and compassionate.

Tangible Vet Tech is creating a new path: a transvenous mitral valve repair system designed specifically for dogs. Instead of only managing symptoms or requiring highly specialized surgery, our technology aims to deliver durable valve repair through a catheter, expanding access, reducing risk, and giving more families a real solution, without the need for open-heart procedures.