Good news! This is our baby girl's heart, full of love (for food and for belly rubs, at least). Thankfully, all remains stable, and for that, I am so so grateful.
We had a very negative experience with a nay-sayer cardiologist at Veterinary Specialty Center, who matter-of-factly predicted that our beloved Ellie would succumb to congestive heart failure in the next 6 months. Because of that, we were thrilled to have more than a glimmer of hope bestowed on us from a veterinary cardiologist in Oregon who specializes in canine cardiac valvular disease.
With the guidance of one of Ellie's veterinarians in town, Ellie was started on a high dose of Enalapril in November, which is a common medication in the ACE inhibitor group ~ it decreases blood pressure and therefore decreases how hard the heart has to work to pump blood through her 32 pounds of pure unadulterated hound dog. We monitored her kidney function very closely every week for a month, and monthly for 3 months. Ellie is also on a host of dietary supplements, including CoEnzyme Q10, and she follows a fairly strict vegan, low-salt diet.
Today was her first follow-up chest radiograph since her glum diagnoses of severe mitral regurgitation, moderate tricuspid regurgitation, and left atrial enlargement. Her heart size is completely stable and there are no additional radiographic signs of failure. It is undoubtedly convenient for this little beagle to have a few radiologists in the family! And to top it all off, her kidneys have been unaffected to date (and nor has her appetite.... for food or for life)!
Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
No comments:
Post a Comment