The Cellar - View Single Post

Undertoad · 11-22-2012, 05:48 PM

When she was 8, the vets found Pearl's heart murmur. The head vet, the guy who owns the whole practice, talked to me about it. "Her normal life expectancy would be 12 years. With this, she might go at 10," he said.

Pearl is 13.

Her heart is very much enlarged, and she will die of congestive heart failure. We know this.

For the last two months she has started having seizure-like cardiac episodes, where she has an arrhythmia and falls over, unconscious. She's out of it for 30-60 seconds, and then she recovers for 5-15 minutes. She's generally not in pain during these things, although she is anxious.

It happens when she's excited, or when she exerts herself.

Every time, I wonder if this is the last. If this is the one that gets her.

To keep her going as long as possible, she is on a cocktail of four different drugs. The vet has increased the number and dosage she's on over time.

For the last few days she has been reacting well to the last increase. This gives me hope that she will hang on for another few months. Maybe the move won't be so difficult for her, and she'll have a little time at the new place. Her EKG was improved at the last visit. Modern veterinary drugs are doing for my dog what major surgery did for my mom.

That's what I hope. I love my dog so much, you can't believe it. With all the change happening in my life, it is a favor the vets and the world are doing for me, keeping her going a little while longer.

11-22-2012, 05:48 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The vets have given Pearl a final inning When she was 8, the vets found Pearl's heart murmur. The head vet, the guy who owns the whole practice, talked to me about it. "Her normal life expectancy would be 12 years. With this, she might go at 10," he said. Pearl is 13. Her heart is very much enlarged, and she will die of congestive heart failure. We know this. For the last two months she has started having seizure-like cardiac episodes, where she has an arrhythmia and falls over, unconscious. She's out of it for 30-60 seconds, and then she recovers for 5-15 minutes. She's generally not in pain during these things, although she is anxious. It happens when she's excited, or when she exerts herself. Every time, I wonder if this is the last. If this is the one that gets her. To keep her going as long as possible, she is on a cocktail of four different drugs. The vet has increased the number and dosage she's on over time. For the last few days she has been reacting well to the last increase. This gives me hope that she will hang on for another few months. Maybe the move won't be so difficult for her, and she'll have a little time at the new place. Her EKG was improved at the last visit. Modern veterinary drugs are doing for my dog what major surgery did for my mom. That's what I hope. I love my dog so much, you can't believe it. With all the change happening in my life, it is a favor the vets and the world are doing for me, keeping her going a little while longer.