Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

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I Smiled Because…

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I was looking through some photos the other day. I was looking for a picture to share today, a photo to spark a story, or bring a smile with a memory.

I came across this one.

I smiled because they were together for a walk.

I smiled because we were in the woods.

I smiled because Sampson was looking at me, and Delilah was looking at Dog knows what.

I smiled because they were both young and healthy.

I smiled because they bring joy and laughter into my life every day.

I smiled because I love them with all my heart.

What did you smile at your pet for this week?

Canine Arrhythmia – Part 2

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Last week, when I was looking through the blog for a resource to link to another post.  I read through some posts from a couple of years ago, and it made me really sad when I realized I use to be super funny.

I wonder if it has to do with my stint where I had trouble posting, or more along the aging of my dogs, and me not finding any of it amusing?

When you blog about aging dogs that have joint problems, vision problems, adrenal growths and heart issues, I guess you lose your funny.

During a routine exam, Delilah was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia. It was severe enough to send us to the cardiologist for an ultrasound and echocardiogram of her heart.

At the first visit, the cardiologist discovered a shadow in the tricuspid valve of Delilah’s heart. She strongly felt it wasn’t a heart tumor, just the design of Delilah’s heart. But the only way to know, was to bring her back in 45 (or so) days. The belief was, if it was a tumor, it would have changed within that time period. In the meantime, she put her on some heart medication, and wanted to use a Holter monitor to get a good idea of what the arrhythmia was doing over a 24-hour period.

Yesterday was the ’45’ day follow up. I put that in quotes, because truthfully, it was more like 53 days, due to scheduling.

The first part of the exam is what I call….triage. The vet tech takes Delilah’s blood pressure, weighs her, listens to her heart and takes her temperature. Since Delilah never learned to hold a thermometer under her tongue, the temperature is taken rectally. Like many of us, sticking something up that area of her anatomy, makes Delilah want to poop. Thankfully, once the mean ole thermometer had been removed, Delilah ceased squatting, making both the vet tech and myself breathe a sigh of relief.

Delilah getting her blood pressure cuff on. You’re welcome it’s not her temperature being taken.

When the vet tech asked how Delilah had been, I had to inform her, Delilah has missed two major deadlines in the last week. I say deadlines, but they are more like highlights to Delilah’s day.

The first thing that happened was 9:00 pm came and went, and Delilah slept through it. She only got up when she heard me open the freezer door to get snack.

The second event, also happened within the last week. Most mornings, Sampson and I get up, and Delilah gets up, checks things out and goes back to bed. By the time Sampson and I get back from our walk, Delilah is at the door waiting. But one morning, she wasn’t. She was still in bed.

It’s hard to determine if it’s related to the arrhythmia or not. I mean, we’ve been in the midst of a heatwave (no-one wants to move), Delilah is 12 1/2, she started a new medication for her heart. How do you know if it’s related to any these changes?

When the cardiologist listened to her heart, she said something didn’t sound right, and got her right up on the table. I asked if I should be freaking out, and she told me, “What’s the point of freaking out, if you don’t know why you’re freaking out.”

I said, “You don’t know me, I can freak out over anything.” 🙂

At least she’s honest. **Deep dog sigh**

The good news is, the shadowy part of Delilah’s heart, hasn’t changed. The Dr. said she could measure it, but we both agreed, if it was a heart tumor, it would have grown significantly since the last ultrasound.

The bad news is, the arrhythmia is still going fairly strong. So the 3/4’s of a tablet of Sotalol that Delilah has been getting twice per day, has been increased to a full tablet, twice per day. The Holter is still recommended, but she’d like to get the arrhythmia under control with medication, before putting on the Holter, as it should give us a better idea of what might be going on.

Naturally, I expressed my frustration. You know, I want it fixed, and I want it fixed NOW.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m ever so grateful to have ruled out the dilated cardiomyopathy as well as the tumor, but I want to know WHAT is causing it.

The cardiologist confessed, that 80% of the time, they never find the cause of an arrhythmia.

I’m thinking, maybe I should have been a cardiologist, or a weather person, they only get the weather right 20% of the time too. 🙂

Where Does a Fourteen Year Old Dog Sleep?

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Sampson turned fourteen at the end of July. We’ve always used that, dogs age seven years for every one human life rule. If that in fact were the case, Sampson would be 88 years old.

Of course, I wanted to be sure, so I consulted Dr. Google, and found this article from the AKC. According to this, Sampson is 84 years old.

Either way you look at it, this dog is in his eighties. Now, like most people in their eighties, my puppy boy is slowing down. In fact, he only goes outside to do his ‘business’ twice per day. Once on our morning walk, and once on our evening walk.

You follow? This guy only pees every 12 or so hours.

I bet most eighty-year-olds pee a lot more than that. Honestly, I’m 58 and I pee when I sneeze, cough, laugh, walk…

Both walks combined, take no more than an hour, and that’s assuming we stop to chat with someone on our afternoon walk.

Sampson eats, twice a day, and that takes about all of 20 minutes. He gets one snack (a frozen Kong) around 9:00 pm, which takes him 10 to 15 minutes to eat.

If you add it all up, and factor in the times we come home from work, the times we are moving about, let’s be generous and say, he’s awake 4 hours per day.

Which leaves the other 20 hours for….?

Sleeping.

Yes, my boy sleeps, and he sleeps A LOT.

There are two dog beds in my living room, and a dog bed and a crib mattress in my bedroom.

Delilah typically chooses one place to sleep, and stays there. Sampson on the other hand is a mover. He gets up many times throughout the day and night, and changes position, or he changes the area he is sleeping on. Sometimes he’s on a bed, sometimes he’s just sleeping on the floor.

Sometimes I look at him, and the position he’s in, and I wonder, just how comfortable it is.

Like the other night, when I went to give him his Kong, and he had to extricate himself from the table of all places.

Naturally, I laughed. He’s such a silly guy.

The title of this post asks, “Where Does a Fourteen Year Old Dog Sleep?”

Answer: Anywhere he wants. 🙂

You make me laugh or smile. The sweet, funny, loving things dogs do that brings a smile to my face, or a laugh to my lips.

What did your pet do this week that made you smile or laugh?

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