Tuesday, February 18, 2014

One Year Ago Today...

It's so hard to believe it's already been a year since I said good bye to my sweet Tom.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of this boy.  A friend of mine made this box to put his ashes in.  It is pyrography (aka woodburning) and I thought she captured him perfectly.  

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Sadie Update

Sadie did well with her dental yesterday.  She lost three of her molars toward the back, one on one side and two on the other.  The one that I was sure she would lose, they were able to save for now.  There was some gum loss on that tooth, but the vet x-rayed it and said the tooth and bone were actually in good shape.  She did a gum graft to try to save the tooth since it otherwise was in good shape.  They also did grafting over the empty spots where they removed the other teeth.  I thought that was pretty interesting.  I had a before and after picture of her teeth during surgery, but it won't upload to the blog. 
Last night I laid on the floor beside her and she kept putting her paw in my hand if I would stop rubbing her.  My girl.  I am so glad she is home and resting well.  Thank you so much for all your prayers, positive energy and anything else you sent our way!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

My Sadie Girl

Sadie is going in Tuesday morning for a dental and I am already a nervous wreck.  She will need at least 2 teeth removed, possibly more.  She's done well in the past with anesthesia, but I am always nervous when they have to go under.

I always refer to Sadie as my "heart" dog.  Not only because we share an incredible bond, but she has heart problems.  I have been hesitant to put her new diagnosis out there, while I am not sure why.  I guess once it's in print, it makes it real.

When I fostered Sadie back in 2008, we went through lots of testing to find out what was making her sick.  After many trips to the specialty vet clinic in Louisville, they came up with the diagnosis of Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Mild Mitral Valve Disease. 

Last November, she seemed to be coughing after drinking water, so I took her to the vet to have things checked out.  She was overdue for an echocardiogram anyway, so we got that scheduled.  My vet clinic has the ultrasound equipment and a doctor from Louisville comes on Wednesday to do procedures.  This seemed to be a better option since Sadie is familiar with our vets office and it was closer. 

After looking at the images for a long time, the doctor who did the procedure just couldn't see where they came up with her original diagnosis.  He then called Dr. Couto to get him in on the consultation.  Of course, I go to the office to pick up my girl and I am greeted with "they are very interested in your dog".  Well, of course, it's Sadie and she does nothing normal.

Dr. Couto was heading for Spain, but graciously answered emails.  He let my doctors know that while in Spain he would have a veterinary cardiologist (one of the best in his words) at his disposal.  So my vet sent the images to him and once in Spain, together they looked at things. 

It turns out that Sadie doesn't have the cardiomyopathy or mitral valve disease.  She has PDA, which stands for Patent Ductus Arteriosus.  Click on the link if you want all the technical jargon, but it is a birth defect.  It can be corrected by surgery, but at her age, I can't risk it.  I always ask my vets what they would do if it was their dog, and they agreed with my decision.

Any good thoughts, white light, prayers, whatever you can send this way for Sadie would be greatly appreciated.