Dark Day, Revisited.

One year ago the world lost the most adorable, loving, intelligent and amazing little dog; Miss Foxy Brown.

I am truly grateful for those of you that helped donate love, time and money to her heart condition issue that sprang up on me when I didn’t have a job in early 2011. It’s thanks to you that she was able to stay with me until the end of last year. With her constant visits to the dog hospital, my unspeakably terrible lawsuit and the loss of a job (also my car’s ultimate death) I never got to thank you, or repay you for that matter.  I had a list for thank you cards that I never made but I truly hope you know that I couldn’t be more appreciative.

In the final two days of Miss Foxy Brown’s life I spent every penny I had set aside for a car, and then some, trying to save her. Despite all my efforts, she reached a point when she was unable to breathe without help and I had to make the decision that still haunts me today. I can't help but feel guilty for forcing her to struggle on for those last few hours. I wish, with every fiber of my being, that she could have made it through that night without so much pain. As frustrating as it is waiting for a bus that never seems to run on schedule, having to search for jobs within the public transit area and being unable to have much of a social life, I would spend my car fund all over again trying to save her. When I get exasperated or discouraged I try to remember that attempting to save Miss Foxy B was worth everything because she was the most important thing in my life. I also remember that without the support of her friends and loved ones, I would have been without my tiny bear, even sooner.

Without Miss Foxy Brown, the last year of my life has been about adapting and finding joy in my life again. The hardest part is coming home to the place where I once had unconditional love waiting for me, no matter how the day went. My betta Ziggy Starfish really tries, but it isn't the same. Since her loss, my apartment hasn’t felt like home and there hasn’t been a day that I haven’t missed her. She was my familiar and I’m not sure I’ll ever connect with another animal like I did with her. I can only thank those of you that tried to keep that little old lady in my life for the longest amount of time possible.

Although December 19th will forever mark a day of my sadness and grief, I try and remember that she wouldn’t have been with me through most of her final year without the love and support of our friends. Those of you who tried to make her future brighter are the reason I can get through such a dark day.

Thank you,
Rosa

This was the last picture taken of us. It was about a week before her final heart episode.

Dark Day

As some of you may know, Miss Foxy Brown has been dealing with a heart condition for a long while. This weekend she had a few episodes that ultimately resulted in my taking her to the dog emergency at 8pm last night. A little before 1:30am today, I had to say my final goodbye to her.



My life will never be the same. She was the reason I could always, eventually, find a bright side to whatever came my way. She was my best friend and I am struggling to imagine my daily life without her. I keep expecting to hear her snoring, or walking out of the bedroom with the little tap shoe sound her tiny feet made on the hardwood. Knowing that she won't be at the door greeting me when I get home is something I don't know if I will ever be used to. This apartment will never be as comforting as it was with her in it. It's hard to know that nightly snuggles with the most important thing in my life will not happen again. All around, dealing with this is going to be a battle.



I know that many of you loved her. She was something special to many of us. She was the sweetest little thing and she could melt the hearts of strangers. To know her was to love her. She had something about her that made her more unique than any dog I'd ever known before. People would ask me about her before we even said hello. She was so much more than a dog, she was Miss Foxy Brown. A few of you already knew about this but I wanted to put the news out there because she had so many people that adored her. Many of you helped her live as long as she did, with your support and help throughout her heart condition and other issues. I appreciate those of you that have reached out to me. I can't express how kind that is, especially during such a dark day.



~Rosa

Snuggle Time, With Miss Foxy Brown.

You may already know Miss Foxy Brown's best friend is a cat. If you didn't already know, now you do. It's the truth.

Miss Brown needed a place to stay today due to apartment maintenance. Luckily a good buddy of mine said it would be fine for her to stay there. This was good news for Foxy as this is the home of her best friend, which happens to be a cat.

On a marvelous rainy day, snuggling was clearly in order... I'm just glad my friend was able to get a picture.



Now you know how tiny she is and how much she loves to snuggle.

Miss Foxy Brown Is Such A Patient Patient.

Yesterday we spent the day with a visit to the Dogtor.



We had a follow up and needed to see if Miss Foxy Brown was a good candidate for the heart medicine she needs. She saw her regular veterinarian and he looked over all of her last appointments results and x-rays. He re-checked her lungs and breathing, saw that they seemed well and found that there was no longer fluid in her lungs. I was relieved.

He said her collapsed trachea is where her trouble breathing originates. When she gets over excited this can make it harder for air to travel and she will cough. He mentioned that heat can also make the trigger more significant and it hadn't gotten worse from her last appointment. I was so happy that something she's dealing with hasn't progressed. Point for Foxy!

We moved on with the exam. Miss Brown was only a little nervous and she only looked slightly scared during the lung and heart testing. Overall Miss Brown seemed mostly at ease... Until it was time to take her temperature. Anyone that has an animal knows that it's pretty much down hill in the nerves department after that. I can't say I wouldn't feel the same. Thank goodness they use ear thermometers for me. I'm positive I wouldn't handle my temperature being checked as well as Miss Foxy Brown does. She braved the rest of the exam and being weighed while looking at me with the "pick me up please" look she's mastered. When I finally held her, she snuggled more than usual.

The dogtor said she was well other than the heart murmur. He wanted to run a mini panel to be sure her liver and kidneys were well enough to start a new heart medicine. He took her to the other room to get a blood sample and I waited in the exam room talking to the manager of the animal hospital. She mentioned how much better Foxy looked and I agreed. Her thyroid medicine has been helping her gradually lose weight and she is less lethargic.

In the waiting area two little kids came up and started petting her. She looked at me and let me know she enjoyed the attention. One of the children, a little girl, asked why she was there. I said she wasn't feeling well. She asked what was wrong. I said it was her heart and the little girl said "Aww, what's wrong with it?" I replied "She has so much love to give that her heart is getting bigger. That makes her tired and we want her to be less tired." The little girl and her brother both said "Awwww" in unison. I looked up and the mother, two receptionists and another client were smiling and giving me the tilted head "awww" look. I smiled and waited for the medicine and my turn to pay.

We were soon given the good news that she has a healthy liver and kidneys. After we got the medicine and paid the bill, we were out the door. Miss Brown was literally jumping with joy to be out of there.

Miss Foxy Brown started her new heart medicine after her walk today.



It has to be taken about a half hour after her thyroid medicine and I decided that a walk in between would help move the time along. I figured she would assume her heart medicine was a kudos on her marvelous morning walks. Luckily she LOVES to take her medicine so this plan works. Thanks to Pill Pockets, she thinks she's getting a treat when she takes her pills. She thinks the word "medicine" is another way of saying "treat." Which is fine by me.

Miss Foxy Brown's spirits are up and she's always a happy girl. (as long as there are no thermometers around) I have to make sure there are no side effects for the next two weeks but I'm staying hopeful that we're on the right track with this heart medicine. Wish us luck!

Happy Birthday, Miss Foxy Brown!

When Miss Foxy Brown came in to my life I knew very little about her. I didn't know her birthday, why she was so scared of people or how anyone could resist her little face. There were many things I've learned about her over the years but not her birthday. The only thing I could do was give her one. I wanted her to have a special day that I could show her (even more than usual) how much I love her. I picked a day to call her very own and in case you hadn't guessed, It's today.

I thought of having a dog party for her since a lot of my friends recently got new pups but she isn't on her heart medication yet and I don't want to overexcite her. So this year she will just have to settle for a nice day filled with yummy food, a dog massage and plenty of snuggle time. What makes it different than any other day? Not much. I guess maybe she'll get more treats.

What Miss Brown loves more than yummy snacks is being pet. If you feel like stopping by to give her a Happy Birthday wish, a snuggle or a dog cookie... I'm sure she'd happily accept.

*Miss Brown is wearing my special birthday cake hat! You can order one from: http://www.agentlover.com/blog/bakery/

Miss Foxy Brown's August Fail

Miss Foxy Brown has a rough beginning to August.

We were walking early Monday morning and during the walk she just crumpled over. I have never seen her do anything like that so I picked her up and quickly walked her back home.

Once inside I made sure to cool her off, thinking that she was too hot or something to that extent. She went to her bed to rest and remained there for about 5 hours. She lifted her head every time I came in to check on her. She seemed tired and I tried to leave her alone.

While I was on the phone with a very good friend Miss Foxy Brown entered the room. I greeted her and she walked over to me. She reached her front arms up so I could lift her, to sit on my lap. She placed her chest on my hand and I smiled. I assumed she wanted me to rub her belly. She sat upright and I put my arm behind her cradling her between my arm and torso. I continued my conversation and rubbed her chest. My friend placed me on hold.

She immediately pushed forward and got physically sick. It was as if Miss Foxy Brown was waiting for me to be on hold before she was ill. She was coughing and gagging for 15 minutes while I hung up and called her vet. They told me to bring her in as soon as possible and I worked on finding a ride there.

Luckily between my friends Jessica, Patrick and Brian I had a way to the pet hospital. They fit Miss Foxy Brown in to their schedule as soon as they could. She saw a veterinarian that she had never seen before. She asked all of Miss Brown's symptoms and history. She ordered x-rays and told me she would go over them with me after comparing them to the old ones. I waited in the lobby for answers and my little furry angel.

Thirty minutes later they called me back in to exam room B. The x-rays showed that her heart had enlarged from her last visit and that there was fluid in her lungs. They suggested an EKG to find any further symptoms of her heart disease. The veterinarian said the results would be in today and they performed an EKG. I waited, again, in the lobby for my little Foxy Brown.

Thirty to Forty minutes later an assistant came out carrying my little angel. She told me that Miss Foxy was very good. I took Miss Brown from her arms and told her she was a very good girl and the assistant reiterated how well behaved she was. She raved about the demeanor of Miss Brown and added that she was very patient. I smiled for the first time in hours. The assistant brought out many animals in the long time I waited out there. Not once did she mention one of them being so good.

Today I called 3 times to the animal hospital. I finally reached the doctor and she went over the EKG and the cardiologist's notes. Miss Foxy Brown's heart has developed an arrhythmia and she needs to be placed on medication. She will also need medication to help the fluid come out of her lungs. The veterinarian (Or DOGter as I prefer) mentioned that most people don't notice the signs of congestive heart failure in their dogs until it's too late. I was lucky to catch it in the beginning and hopefully with some medication her heart will hold out a little longer.

She will still be at risk of having a sudden heart issue and her heart disease can be controlled but not cured. Without medication, the doctor believes she won't make it through the next two months. She will have to go in for kidney and liver testing, to make sure she can handle the heart medication and diuretic. Hopefully the medicine will help her heart maintain itself a little better and she will be with me for as long as she feels like it.

Miss Foxy Brown wins the hearts of everyone she meets. She's the sweetest little thing that has ever been in my life. I love the little grumbling way of talking she's created. I love her little paws that seem to twinkle when she walks. I even love her adult male sized snoring. (Even now, she snoring away next to me) I'm content when she's around. No matter how rough the day has been, I know that her little face will always do something to make me smile.

She may have a battle for her health but I'm going to make it as sweet as she is. I can promise that.

Miss Foxy Brown's Newest Update!

A lot of you have been asking how Miss Brown's procedures went on Tuesday. I apologize that I haven't had the time to write anything until now. Here's the scoop:

Miss Foxy Brown is home and recovering, I can't express how glad I am about that. She is high risk for anesthesia and I'm glad she pulled through. There was a scare on Tuesday but she was very clear that she's not done being adored by everyone that meets her. She did not recover as gracefully as we had hoped, at first. She had to return to the animal hospital on Wednesday, due to what they think was a reaction to her medications. She has been given alternate medication since then and seems to be responding well to it.

On Saturday, Miss Foxy Brown and I got a call from her Veterinarian. He got the results of her last blood test. She has a thyroid issue and is on medication that she will have to take for the rest of her days. It should help her lose weight without me having to starve her and that will help take pressure off of her heart. She had to be very closely monitored to be sure she didn't become ill from the new medication. She was mildly dehydrated so, getting sick would have had serious repercussions.

As for Tuesday's findings: Foxy Brown has an enlarged heart and weak heart valves, the dog doctor was worried that she had a leaking heart valve but he said she didn't. What a relief! He mentioned that although her heart is enlarged, it looks good. I say her heart is too big because she has too much love to give. I know, cheesy... But it makes me feel better.

She had to lose 5 teeth, all on one side of her mouth, due to the infection that has been in her body. She is still on antibiotics and we hope that removing the teeth that the infection took over, will knock out it out entirely.

Miss Brown also has an enlarged liver. He hopes this will not create problems in the future but he thinks it is due to her age.

Unfortunately, Miss Foxy Brown has a collapsed trachea. This condition was already a situation when I got her. It has worsened but not much from when I first took her to a vet. This is a concerning problem but it's common in small dogs. I already use a harness instead of a collar to prevent further damage and I have tried to be overly preventative about this. This unhappy diagnosis has gotten worse due to age and I will have to be even more cautious about it in the future.

The saddest part about all of her health problems is that they are mostly a result of how poorly she was taken care of in her younger days. When I got her she had to battle pancreatitis, lose teeth due to poor dental health, she was terrified of people, she had hot spots and she was basically fighting to be healthy enough to stay alive. I am so glad I got to help her enjoy a frolicsome life, filled with people that love her. I'm just sad she has had to deal with this bit of bad health.

I hope that she will go back to being the sprightly little angel, that we all adore, very soon. So far she's already in better spirits and I am positive she will ready for snuggles with everyone in the near future.

I am very grateful that so many people have donated to Miss Foxy Brown's Feel Better Fund. It has made a world of difference and I am happy to say that the animal hospital is working out a payment plan for the remaining balance. They are truly the most amazing animal hospital I have ever encountered.

My sincerest gratitude goes out to all of those who have donated their time, money, love and support. I would not have made it through these past few weeks without you.

Miss Foxy Brown, What's Goin' Down?

Some of you have been asking what's going on with Miss foxy Brown. I figured writing it would be the best idea, that way I don't have to tell everyone individually. It's hard to keep talking about it, so I'd rather just get it out there and try not to worry.



On Sunday I had to take Miss Brown in to the Dog ER because her face was swollen on one side. It was alarming and I wanted to make sure she was OK. They said she was having an allergic reaction or had an abscess tooth. She also had a heart murmur. The ER Vet told me that I needed to follow up with her regular vet on Monday and I was given antibiotics to give her every 12 hours.



After going to her regular vet and having a hard time being seen we went to a new place called Glendale Animal Hospital. My only regret is that we haven't been going there all along. They were very nice and have been overly attentive with Miss Brown. It's refreshing. They are very caring and have been very sweet and supportive through all of this. If you're in the area, you should give them a visit. They confirmed that her tooth was infected and they ran more blood tests to check her organs and see if the infection was subsiding. They also checked her heart and found that her heart murmur is grade 3, which is moderate. She has weakened heart valves and there is a possibility that the murmur is being caused by a leaking heart valve. That will be further investigated on Tuesday.



Miss Foxy Brown's amazing and sweet Vet called today with the results of some of her blood tests. (We're still waiting on one that will take another day to two for results.) Today's blood results show that the infection is still prominent in her system, even with her being on antibiotics. She is also showing signs of a bad kidney. He's hoping that the kidney is going to be fine and that it will balance out after the infection dies. She is also showing signs of mild dehydration. She is drinking water, so the kidney problem is a bit of a concern.



On Tuesday I will be taking her in to the Vet's office. They will be removing the tooth that first showed signs of the infection, looking further in to her heart valve situation, administering a stronger antibiotic and running more tests. Because of her heart there is high risk in her procedures. She's a tough little angel, so I am staying positive that she will be fine.



I am sad but truly grateful that her infection showed up in her tooth and caused a noticeable problem, otherwise I wouldn't have known about any of this until it was too late. She is a little lethargic but otherwise she is acting fine and in good spirits. I can only be glad that this was noticed in time for me to help her.



We appreciate all of the love, concern and support everyone has been giving Miss Foxy Brown. I can only say thank you, although it doesn't seem to be enough.

Miss Foxy Brown!

Miss Foxy Brown is the light of my life. If you've met her, she's probably on your list of most amazing dogs ever.

She is having health problems and her estimated vet bill is $1280.50. That's just for next week. She is having issues with her heart and has a tooth that has to be removed due to a dental disease.

If you can help, we'd be eternally grateful. I know Miss Brown would be too. If you can't, we're also taking hang out time for snuggle and petting time with the lovely Miss Brown. She'll take all the love and support she can get!

It is hard for me to have to ask for help but her bills are piling up. Every penny will help me right now. If it's pocket change, a dollar or more, it would help. Truly. I can't lose her and I have to nip this is the bud.

Thank you!