I took Zoe down to Gulf Coast Veterinary Hospital yesterday for a little checkup. It’s been 3 years since we started battling allergy and skin issues right after she had a mast cell tumors removed in February of 2008. At that time, we also discovered that she had a heart murmur that I had checked out. They told me it wasn’t anything to worry about, but that we should keep an eye on it as it is considered a degenerative condition and she is quickly approaching the decade mark. A few weeks ago, Zoe skipped a meal & this was terribly unlike my always-ravenous dog. I took her into the vet for a general checkup and a senior blood panel (I was worried about her teeth) & they told me the murmur had worsened to a class 3/4 grade. So as soon as I could find time on my schedule, back we went to Gulf Coast for a consultation since she still runs 3+ miles with me several time a week & we are getting into the heat of summer. After a small fortune, Zoe had an EKG and some xrays of her heart that told us that the murmur was the exact same it had been 3 years ago! I’m so glad it isn’t getting any worse & she’s not showing any signs of suffering from heart issue. We battled skin issues for a while, but I finally switched them both to Solid Gold kibble & couldn’t be more pleased. She’s getting high-quality protein & no more medications (steroids or allergy stuff). I’m thrilled that most of the bumps and allergies have gone away.
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: It’s national running day! Get out & move, or better yet- sign up for a discounted Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon!
I didn’t know they had rnr marathon discounts today. I might have to check it out! Thanks for sharing.
Sorry I missed this when you first posted it. Your “You might also like this” feature helped me find it though! Anyway, I am so glad to hear that Zoe’s heart murmur is the same as it was three years ago. What wonderful news! I bet it’s that regular 3 miles of running with you that is keeping her heart going strong. As for the allergies, I suffered through that with Toby too – and I agree – what a relief it is when you find the food that works for your dog. Thanks for sharing all of the good news.
Donna and the Dogs recently posted..A Fiction Break
No worries! I just installed that related posts plug-in a few weeks ago- glad you found it useful. It’s so easy (simple?) to see how diet impacts our dogs. I *know* humans are the same way, but we are so much more complicated and complex since we eat so many types of food.
LOL! Plus, it’s easy to say “No ice cream for you dog.” But when we human’s get a craving….it’s just us and the freezer.