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.