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.