The wife of a coworker of Eddie's brought her Maltese Kelly to Eddie's job one day and that was the first time Eddie ever saw a Maltese. Immediately he wanted one (really surprised me cause he didn't like dogs inside) and we went and bought Gunnar a few weeks later at the age of 12 weeks. When Gunnar was a year old Kelly's owner called and wanted to mate them and so I went and brought them over to our house. Tiffanye was conceived in our front yard. She was born at 10:00 a.m. on June 25, 1998, along with a sister and brother. The first time I saw her she was six hours old. I picked her out immediately and knew she was the one I wanted. I went to see her several times before I brought her home.
Then when Tiffanye was 5 weeks 1 day old Kelly's owner called and said the little boy puppy was ill and asked if I could come take them to the vet.. So I took off work early and took them. Evidently their collie had gotten inside and had grabbed the little boy by the rear and shook him. I took them home (the little boy died a few days later) and got Tiffanye and brought her home that same day. Called my boss and told her I had to take my vacation a week early. Tiffanye weighed a little over 1 lb when I brought. I put her in a little pet taxi where she slept. I got up every two hours to feed her and take her out to potty. I did this for two weeks. I had already planned a Come meet my new puppy party for the following Saturday (a guise for a surprise baby shower for our genetic counselor pregnant with her first child). Took Tiffanye for her first bath at the groomer that morning and got her ready to meet everybody. She stole the show. I kept her in her little crate until it was time to feed her or take her out to pee pee. She was so cute. The grass was taller than she was... I had to lift her up onto the patio. She was such a sweet precious little puppy. And Gunnar got along with her great from the beginning. Of course, I'm sure he didn't know he was her daddy. But then again, I have no idea how dogs think. But I firmly believe they do.
When Tiffanye was 3 or 4 she had to have surgery for bladder stones and a year or so later she had to have knee surgery. She had to have extra teeth pulled when she was spayed and more when she had her teeth cleaned.
Tiffanye played a large part in my life during the 11 years 5 months and 16 days that she lived. My only child Laurie had died on 12-4-92 and my life seemed to be completely empty and overwith. Family and friends leave you when you lose a child. I think maybe they are afraid to be around someone like us because it might rub off on them. But when you have pets, they never leave you, no matter what. Their love is unconditional. I worked for six years after she died before I was forced to retire due to medical conditions.. We had had Tiffanye about three years by then.. She filled a part of the hole that was left in my heart when my Laurie died. After I retired she was always at my side. If I was on the lounge chair, she was there with me. She slept right on side of me in the bed. If she wanted me to turn over she would go to my feet and bark so I would turn over...I couldn't stay on my left side but a minute or so because of the pain my my jaw and head so had to turn right back over. She would lay right against my back. She stayed in bed with me until I got up, whenever that was. I usually stayed up till 2 or 3 am every night. she would be right beside me until I turned off the TV.. Then both she andd Gunnar would jump up, knowing it was time to go to bed. I always let them go outside first, then would put her on the bed and she'd wait at the foot until I got in bed....
She was so smart. When she was hungry, she would go into the kitchen and bark. When she was out of water, she would paw on the bowl until I filled it with water for her. If she wanted one of her treats she would come on side of the lounge chair where I usually kept them and stand there till I got up to get them.
When she wanted to go to the bathroom she would go to the hallway door, stop, turn around and look at me, and I would know she had to go outside to go to potty. When she was on my chair she would turn around and look at me and I could always tell what she wanted, whether to go get water or go to the bathroom. We communicated so well with each other.
In June of 2008 during her visit to get her immunizations the vet told me she had a grade 1 heart murmur. Said that wasn't unusual in small dogs as they got older. In about March she began coughing. I took her to the vet and he said that her heart murmur was a grade 3 now but she wasn't symptomatic...that when she started showing symptoms he had a very good heart med that he would use on her, that her coughing was due to a partially collapsed trachea and gave her a cortisone shot to stop the inflammation. During the next two months I took her numerous times for coughing, cause it sounded different, and she was congested too. Gave her antihistamines for that. On May 13 I took her in because she was coughing more and sometimes it sounded squeaky. He still said her heart murmur was asymptomatic. Two days later at midnight, May 15, she started coughing and couldn't stop for two hours. She looked up at me and gave me a look like "mama, help me". I got Eddie up and we took her to the emergency pet center. they said she was in congestive heart failure and gave her lasix. They wanted to take x-rays and start her on heart meds but I said I wanted to take her to her regular vet. Stayed up with her all night long and went to vet as soon as it opened and they could work her in. He said he couldn't heart any fluid in her lungs and even read the report from the emergency room. gave her some lasix and told me to gave her two that day, Saturday and one on Sunday. By Sunday night she was worse again and again I stayed up all night with her cause she was having trouble breathing. Took her in to the vet Monday morning, he didn't even listen to her... Walked in the door and said, this dog has never been in any distress when I saw her... I'm going to send her to the heart specialist inn Houston. I said 'you better get an appointment today or she's gonna be dead'. He came in and said the appointment was for 3:30 and got ready to walk out. I said 'aren't you even gonna listen to her heart?' He did and said 'yes she has a really loud murmur" and that was it. We left and I never took her or either of other two dogs back to him.
When we got to the heart specialist she did x-rays and an ultrasound and said it was the worst possible condition. It looked as tough her valve had turned inward...Gave her a special diet and started her on lasix and enalatril and scheduled to go back in a week. Then she added Vetmedin. In the meantime she got a congested nose and we fought that congestion for six weeks before we got it under control. She couldn't breathe and eat at the same time and wound up losing over a pound. She started out at 7 lbs and lost down to 5 lbs 15 oz. After two rounds of antibiotics, antihistamines, another med with antihistamine and a little cortisone in it (couldn't give her cortisone because of her heart condition which by the way her vet did give her), got a mask and the med to use in it , finally wound up getting a nebulizer with plain saline. After using it six times a day for three days it finally broke the congestion out. Then she got better but as soon as the antibiotics were thru she got it back again. From then on we kept her on antibiotics prophylactically and the antihistamines and the other med. She was getting five meds six times a day. She started gaining her weight back up to 6.9 lbs. Thought she was gonna make it. I tell you the next 6 1/2 months were an emotional roller coaster. She had to be taken to the emergency vet twice and the specialist emergency once, with weekly visits to them. When we did go to bed I watched her breathe. It is funny cause after her congestive heart failure she wouldn't sleep next to me any more. She laid up against the back of Eddie's legs. She knew I didn't want to her run or jump, so she would walk up to my chair, then back up for me to pick her up. when she went outside to potty she would stand when she got thru so I could go pick her up. She wound up having three or four bouts of having a hard time breathing. I got so I took syringes of lasix home with me to give her when she first started the distress. Then on December 1 in the a.m. had trouble breathing again. Took her in and they kept her overnight. Picked her up Wednesday December 2 afternoon... Also started her on another heart med. Took 12 syringes of lasix home with me. On December 7 she had another attack and I gave her an injection of lasix and it slowed it down. The same thing on Wednesday December 9. She went in for check up on December 10 and everything sounded no worse. Friday morning December 11 at 2:00 she started distress again. I gave her lasix it didn't help. Poor baby. I took her out to pee pee and she kept going. She had to hold her nose up to breathe. Gave her another injection a couple hours later, no help. My poor baby. I knew this was the end. I held her all night holding her head up so she could breathe. I had to walk with her cause she didn't want me to sit down. By 7:30 when the vet opened I told him that I was bringing her in to put her to sleep. Got there around 9:00. When the came to get her I couldn't stand to see it. I started wailing and wailing and saw her as they took her way. Reminded me of when they took Laurie away never to see her alive again. I finally told Eddie to go back there with her. They gave her a sedative first to relax her and then the other. He started crying. They put her in a hard cardboard casket like box and brought her out to me. I couldn't' stop crying. I covered my face and walked out the building and Eddie brought her and put her in my lap. I cried all day long. It was a terrible windy cold day. My brother inn law came over and helped Eddie dig a hole behind Laurie's bedroom window. they buried her beside Laurie's cat Cali. Then Eddie went out and bought wooden crosses for each grave.
Then when Tiffanye was 5 weeks 1 day old Kelly's owner called and said the little boy puppy was ill and asked if I could come take them to the vet.. So I took off work early and took them. Evidently their collie had gotten inside and had grabbed the little boy by the rear and shook him. I took them home (the little boy died a few days later) and got Tiffanye and brought her home that same day. Called my boss and told her I had to take my vacation a week early. Tiffanye weighed a little over 1 lb when I brought. I put her in a little pet taxi where she slept. I got up every two hours to feed her and take her out to potty. I did this for two weeks. I had already planned a Come meet my new puppy party for the following Saturday (a guise for a surprise baby shower for our genetic counselor pregnant with her first child). Took Tiffanye for her first bath at the groomer that morning and got her ready to meet everybody. She stole the show. I kept her in her little crate until it was time to feed her or take her out to pee pee. She was so cute. The grass was taller than she was... I had to lift her up onto the patio. She was such a sweet precious little puppy. And Gunnar got along with her great from the beginning. Of course, I'm sure he didn't know he was her daddy. But then again, I have no idea how dogs think. But I firmly believe they do.
When Tiffanye was 3 or 4 she had to have surgery for bladder stones and a year or so later she had to have knee surgery. She had to have extra teeth pulled when she was spayed and more when she had her teeth cleaned.
Tiffanye played a large part in my life during the 11 years 5 months and 16 days that she lived. My only child Laurie had died on 12-4-92 and my life seemed to be completely empty and overwith. Family and friends leave you when you lose a child. I think maybe they are afraid to be around someone like us because it might rub off on them. But when you have pets, they never leave you, no matter what. Their love is unconditional. I worked for six years after she died before I was forced to retire due to medical conditions.. We had had Tiffanye about three years by then.. She filled a part of the hole that was left in my heart when my Laurie died. After I retired she was always at my side. If I was on the lounge chair, she was there with me. She slept right on side of me in the bed. If she wanted me to turn over she would go to my feet and bark so I would turn over...I couldn't stay on my left side but a minute or so because of the pain my my jaw and head so had to turn right back over. She would lay right against my back. She stayed in bed with me until I got up, whenever that was. I usually stayed up till 2 or 3 am every night. she would be right beside me until I turned off the TV.. Then both she andd Gunnar would jump up, knowing it was time to go to bed. I always let them go outside first, then would put her on the bed and she'd wait at the foot until I got in bed....
She was so smart. When she was hungry, she would go into the kitchen and bark. When she was out of water, she would paw on the bowl until I filled it with water for her. If she wanted one of her treats she would come on side of the lounge chair where I usually kept them and stand there till I got up to get them.
When she wanted to go to the bathroom she would go to the hallway door, stop, turn around and look at me, and I would know she had to go outside to go to potty. When she was on my chair she would turn around and look at me and I could always tell what she wanted, whether to go get water or go to the bathroom. We communicated so well with each other.
In June of 2008 during her visit to get her immunizations the vet told me she had a grade 1 heart murmur. Said that wasn't unusual in small dogs as they got older. In about March she began coughing. I took her to the vet and he said that her heart murmur was a grade 3 now but she wasn't symptomatic...that when she started showing symptoms he had a very good heart med that he would use on her, that her coughing was due to a partially collapsed trachea and gave her a cortisone shot to stop the inflammation. During the next two months I took her numerous times for coughing, cause it sounded different, and she was congested too. Gave her antihistamines for that. On May 13 I took her in because she was coughing more and sometimes it sounded squeaky. He still said her heart murmur was asymptomatic. Two days later at midnight, May 15, she started coughing and couldn't stop for two hours. She looked up at me and gave me a look like "mama, help me". I got Eddie up and we took her to the emergency pet center. they said she was in congestive heart failure and gave her lasix. They wanted to take x-rays and start her on heart meds but I said I wanted to take her to her regular vet. Stayed up with her all night long and went to vet as soon as it opened and they could work her in. He said he couldn't heart any fluid in her lungs and even read the report from the emergency room. gave her some lasix and told me to gave her two that day, Saturday and one on Sunday. By Sunday night she was worse again and again I stayed up all night with her cause she was having trouble breathing. Took her in to the vet Monday morning, he didn't even listen to her... Walked in the door and said, this dog has never been in any distress when I saw her... I'm going to send her to the heart specialist inn Houston. I said 'you better get an appointment today or she's gonna be dead'. He came in and said the appointment was for 3:30 and got ready to walk out. I said 'aren't you even gonna listen to her heart?' He did and said 'yes she has a really loud murmur" and that was it. We left and I never took her or either of other two dogs back to him.
When we got to the heart specialist she did x-rays and an ultrasound and said it was the worst possible condition. It looked as tough her valve had turned inward...Gave her a special diet and started her on lasix and enalatril and scheduled to go back in a week. Then she added Vetmedin. In the meantime she got a congested nose and we fought that congestion for six weeks before we got it under control. She couldn't breathe and eat at the same time and wound up losing over a pound. She started out at 7 lbs and lost down to 5 lbs 15 oz. After two rounds of antibiotics, antihistamines, another med with antihistamine and a little cortisone in it (couldn't give her cortisone because of her heart condition which by the way her vet did give her), got a mask and the med to use in it , finally wound up getting a nebulizer with plain saline. After using it six times a day for three days it finally broke the congestion out. Then she got better but as soon as the antibiotics were thru she got it back again. From then on we kept her on antibiotics prophylactically and the antihistamines and the other med. She was getting five meds six times a day. She started gaining her weight back up to 6.9 lbs. Thought she was gonna make it. I tell you the next 6 1/2 months were an emotional roller coaster. She had to be taken to the emergency vet twice and the specialist emergency once, with weekly visits to them. When we did go to bed I watched her breathe. It is funny cause after her congestive heart failure she wouldn't sleep next to me any more. She laid up against the back of Eddie's legs. She knew I didn't want to her run or jump, so she would walk up to my chair, then back up for me to pick her up. when she went outside to potty she would stand when she got thru so I could go pick her up. She wound up having three or four bouts of having a hard time breathing. I got so I took syringes of lasix home with me to give her when she first started the distress. Then on December 1 in the a.m. had trouble breathing again. Took her in and they kept her overnight. Picked her up Wednesday December 2 afternoon... Also started her on another heart med. Took 12 syringes of lasix home with me. On December 7 she had another attack and I gave her an injection of lasix and it slowed it down. The same thing on Wednesday December 9. She went in for check up on December 10 and everything sounded no worse. Friday morning December 11 at 2:00 she started distress again. I gave her lasix it didn't help. Poor baby. I took her out to pee pee and she kept going. She had to hold her nose up to breathe. Gave her another injection a couple hours later, no help. My poor baby. I knew this was the end. I held her all night holding her head up so she could breathe. I had to walk with her cause she didn't want me to sit down. By 7:30 when the vet opened I told him that I was bringing her in to put her to sleep. Got there around 9:00. When the came to get her I couldn't stand to see it. I started wailing and wailing and saw her as they took her way. Reminded me of when they took Laurie away never to see her alive again. I finally told Eddie to go back there with her. They gave her a sedative first to relax her and then the other. He started crying. They put her in a hard cardboard casket like box and brought her out to me. I couldn't' stop crying. I covered my face and walked out the building and Eddie brought her and put her in my lap. I cried all day long. It was a terrible windy cold day. My brother inn law came over and helped Eddie dig a hole behind Laurie's bedroom window. they buried her beside Laurie's cat Cali. Then Eddie went out and bought wooden crosses for each grave.
The wife of a coworker of Eddie's brought her Maltese Kelly to Eddie's job one day and that was the first time Eddie ever saw a Maltese. Immediately he wanted one (really surprised me cause he didn't like dogs inside) and we went and bought Gunnar a few weeks later at the age of 12 weeks. When Gunnar was a year old Kelly's owner called and wanted to mate them and so I went and brought them over to our house. Tiffanye was conceived in our front yard. She was born at 10:00 a.m. on June 25, 1998, along with a sister and brother. The first time I saw her she was six hours old. I picked her out immediately and knew she was the one I wanted. I went to see her several times before I brought her home.
Then when Tiffanye was 5 weeks 1 day old Kelly's owner called and said the little boy puppy was ill and asked if I could come take them to the vet.. So I took off work early and took them. Evidently their collie had gotten inside and had grabbed the little boy by the rear and shook him. I took them home (the little boy died a few days later) and got Tiffanye and brought her home that same day. Called my boss and told her I had to take my vacation a week early. Tiffanye weighed a little over 1 lb when I brought. I put her in a little pet taxi where she slept. I got up every two hours to feed her and take her out to potty. I did this for two weeks. I had already planned a Come meet my new puppy party for the following Saturday (a guise for a surprise baby shower for our genetic counselor pregnant with her first child). Took Tiffanye for her first bath at the groomer that morning and got her ready to meet everybody. She stole the show. I kept her in her little crate until it was time to feed her or take her out to pee pee. She was so cute. The grass was taller than she was... I had to lift her up onto the patio. She was such a sweet precious little puppy. And Gunnar got along with her great from the beginning. Of course, I'm sure he didn't know he was her daddy. But then again, I have no idea how dogs think. But I firmly believe they do.
When Tiffanye was 3 or 4 she had to have surgery for bladder stones and a year or so later she had to have knee surgery. She had to have extra teeth pulled when she was spayed and more when she had her teeth cleaned.
Tiffanye played a large part in my life during the 11 years 5 months and 16 days that she lived. My only child Laurie had died on 12-4-92 and my life seemed to be completely empty and overwith. Family and friends leave you when you lose a child. I think maybe they are afraid to be around someone like us because it might rub off on them. But when you have pets, they never leave you, no matter what. Their love is unconditional. I worked for six years after she died before I was forced to retire due to medical conditions.. We had had Tiffanye about three years by then.. She filled a part of the hole that was left in my heart when my Laurie died. After I retired she was always at my side. If I was on the lounge chair, she was there with me. She slept right on side of me in the bed. If she wanted me to turn over she would go to my feet and bark so I would turn over...I couldn't stay on my left side but a minute or so because of the pain my my jaw and head so had to turn right back over. She would lay right against my back. She stayed in bed with me until I got up, whenever that was. I usually stayed up till 2 or 3 am every night. she would be right beside me until I turned off the TV.. Then both she andd Gunnar would jump up, knowing it was time to go to bed. I always let them go outside first, then would put her on the bed and she'd wait at the foot until I got in bed....
She was so smart. When she was hungry, she would go into the kitchen and bark. When she was out of water, she would paw on the bowl until I filled it with water for her. If she wanted one of her treats she would come on side of the lounge chair where I usually kept them and stand there till I got up to get them.
When she wanted to go to the bathroom she would go to the hallway door, stop, turn around and look at me, and I would know she had to go outside to go to potty. When she was on my chair she would turn around and look at me and I could always tell what she wanted, whether to go get water or go to the bathroom. We communicated so well with each other.
In June of 2008 during her visit to get her immunizations the vet told me she had a grade 1 heart murmur. Said that wasn't unusual in small dogs as they got older. In about March she began coughing. I took her to the vet and he said that her heart murmur was a grade 3 now but she wasn't symptomatic...that when she started showing symptoms he had a very good heart med that he would use on her, that her coughing was due to a partially collapsed trachea and gave her a cortisone shot to stop the inflammation. During the next two months I took her numerous times for coughing, cause it sounded different, and she was congested too. Gave her antihistamines for that. On May 13 I took her in because she was coughing more and sometimes it sounded squeaky. He still said her heart murmur was asymptomatic. Two days later at midnight, May 15, she started coughing and couldn't stop for two hours. She looked up at me and gave me a look like "mama, help me". I got Eddie up and we took her to the emergency pet center. they said she was in congestive heart failure and gave her lasix. They wanted to take x-rays and start her on heart meds but I said I wanted to take her to her regular vet. Stayed up with her all night long and went to vet as soon as it opened and they could work her in. He said he couldn't heart any fluid in her lungs and even read the report from the emergency room. gave her some lasix and told me to gave her two that day, Saturday and one on Sunday. By Sunday night she was worse again and again I stayed up all night with her cause she was having trouble breathing. Took her in to the vet Monday morning, he didn't even listen to her... Walked in the door and said, this dog has never been in any distress when I saw her... I'm going to send her to the heart specialist inn Houston. I said 'you better get an appointment today or she's gonna be dead'. He came in and said the appointment was for 3:30 and got ready to walk out. I said 'aren't you even gonna listen to her heart?' He did and said 'yes she has a really loud murmur" and that was it. We left and I never took her or either of other two dogs back to him.
When we got to the heart specialist she did x-rays and an ultrasound and said it was the worst possible condition. It looked as tough her valve had turned inward...Gave her a special diet and started her on lasix and enalatril and scheduled to go back in a week. Then she added Vetmedin. In the meantime she got a congested nose and we fought that congestion for six weeks before we got it under control. She couldn't breathe and eat at the same time and wound up losing over a pound. She started out at 7 lbs and lost down to 5 lbs 15 oz. After two rounds of antibiotics, antihistamines, another med with antihistamine and a little cortisone in it (couldn't give her cortisone because of her heart condition which by the way her vet did give her), got a mask and the med to use in it , finally wound up getting a nebulizer with plain saline. After using it six times a day for three days it finally broke the congestion out. Then she got better but as soon as the antibiotics were thru she got it back again. From then on we kept her on antibiotics prophylactically and the antihistamines and the other med. She was getting five meds six times a day. She started gaining her weight back up to 6.9 lbs. Thought she was gonna make it. I tell you the next 6 1/2 months were an emotional roller coaster. She had to be taken to the emergency vet twice and the specialist emergency once, with weekly visits to them. When we did go to bed I watched her breathe. It is funny cause after her congestive heart failure she wouldn't sleep next to me any more. She laid up against the back of Eddie's legs. She knew I didn't want to her run or jump, so she would walk up to my chair, then back up for me to pick her up. when she went outside to potty she would stand when she got thru so I could go pick her up. She wound up having three or four bouts of having a hard time breathing. I got so I took syringes of lasix home with me to give her when she first started the distress. Then on December 1 in the a.m. had trouble breathing again. Took her in and they kept her overnight. Picked her up Wednesday December 2 afternoon... Also started her on another heart med. Took 12 syringes of lasix home with me. On December 7 she had another attack and I gave her an injection of lasix and it slowed it down. The same thing on Wednesday December 9. She went in for check up on December 10 and everything sounded no worse. Friday morning December 11 at 2:00 she started distress again. I gave her lasix it didn't help. Poor baby. I took her out to pee pee and she kept going. She had to hold her nose up to breathe. Gave her another injection a couple hours later, no help. My poor baby. I knew this was the end. I held her all night holding her head up so she could breathe. I had to walk with her cause she didn't want me to sit down. By 7:30 when the vet opened I told him that I was bringing her in to put her to sleep. Got there around 9:00. When the came to get her I couldn't stand to see it. I started wailing and wailing and saw her as they took her way. Reminded me of when they took Laurie away never to see her alive again. I finally told Eddie to go back there with her. They gave her a sedative first to relax her and then the other. He started crying. They put her in a hard cardboard casket like box and brought her out to me. I couldn't' stop crying. I covered my face and walked out the building and Eddie brought her and put her in my lap. I cried all day long. It was a terrible windy cold day. My brother inn law came over and helped Eddie dig a hole behind Laurie's bedroom window. they buried her beside Laurie's cat Cali. Then Eddie went out and bought wooden crosses for each grave.
Then when Tiffanye was 5 weeks 1 day old Kelly's owner called and said the little boy puppy was ill and asked if I could come take them to the vet.. So I took off work early and took them. Evidently their collie had gotten inside and had grabbed the little boy by the rear and shook him. I took them home (the little boy died a few days later) and got Tiffanye and brought her home that same day. Called my boss and told her I had to take my vacation a week early. Tiffanye weighed a little over 1 lb when I brought. I put her in a little pet taxi where she slept. I got up every two hours to feed her and take her out to potty. I did this for two weeks. I had already planned a Come meet my new puppy party for the following Saturday (a guise for a surprise baby shower for our genetic counselor pregnant with her first child). Took Tiffanye for her first bath at the groomer that morning and got her ready to meet everybody. She stole the show. I kept her in her little crate until it was time to feed her or take her out to pee pee. She was so cute. The grass was taller than she was... I had to lift her up onto the patio. She was such a sweet precious little puppy. And Gunnar got along with her great from the beginning. Of course, I'm sure he didn't know he was her daddy. But then again, I have no idea how dogs think. But I firmly believe they do.
When Tiffanye was 3 or 4 she had to have surgery for bladder stones and a year or so later she had to have knee surgery. She had to have extra teeth pulled when she was spayed and more when she had her teeth cleaned.
Tiffanye played a large part in my life during the 11 years 5 months and 16 days that she lived. My only child Laurie had died on 12-4-92 and my life seemed to be completely empty and overwith. Family and friends leave you when you lose a child. I think maybe they are afraid to be around someone like us because it might rub off on them. But when you have pets, they never leave you, no matter what. Their love is unconditional. I worked for six years after she died before I was forced to retire due to medical conditions.. We had had Tiffanye about three years by then.. She filled a part of the hole that was left in my heart when my Laurie died. After I retired she was always at my side. If I was on the lounge chair, she was there with me. She slept right on side of me in the bed. If she wanted me to turn over she would go to my feet and bark so I would turn over...I couldn't stay on my left side but a minute or so because of the pain my my jaw and head so had to turn right back over. She would lay right against my back. She stayed in bed with me until I got up, whenever that was. I usually stayed up till 2 or 3 am every night. she would be right beside me until I turned off the TV.. Then both she andd Gunnar would jump up, knowing it was time to go to bed. I always let them go outside first, then would put her on the bed and she'd wait at the foot until I got in bed....
She was so smart. When she was hungry, she would go into the kitchen and bark. When she was out of water, she would paw on the bowl until I filled it with water for her. If she wanted one of her treats she would come on side of the lounge chair where I usually kept them and stand there till I got up to get them.
When she wanted to go to the bathroom she would go to the hallway door, stop, turn around and look at me, and I would know she had to go outside to go to potty. When she was on my chair she would turn around and look at me and I could always tell what she wanted, whether to go get water or go to the bathroom. We communicated so well with each other.
In June of 2008 during her visit to get her immunizations the vet told me she had a grade 1 heart murmur. Said that wasn't unusual in small dogs as they got older. In about March she began coughing. I took her to the vet and he said that her heart murmur was a grade 3 now but she wasn't symptomatic...that when she started showing symptoms he had a very good heart med that he would use on her, that her coughing was due to a partially collapsed trachea and gave her a cortisone shot to stop the inflammation. During the next two months I took her numerous times for coughing, cause it sounded different, and she was congested too. Gave her antihistamines for that. On May 13 I took her in because she was coughing more and sometimes it sounded squeaky. He still said her heart murmur was asymptomatic. Two days later at midnight, May 15, she started coughing and couldn't stop for two hours. She looked up at me and gave me a look like "mama, help me". I got Eddie up and we took her to the emergency pet center. they said she was in congestive heart failure and gave her lasix. They wanted to take x-rays and start her on heart meds but I said I wanted to take her to her regular vet. Stayed up with her all night long and went to vet as soon as it opened and they could work her in. He said he couldn't heart any fluid in her lungs and even read the report from the emergency room. gave her some lasix and told me to gave her two that day, Saturday and one on Sunday. By Sunday night she was worse again and again I stayed up all night with her cause she was having trouble breathing. Took her in to the vet Monday morning, he didn't even listen to her... Walked in the door and said, this dog has never been in any distress when I saw her... I'm going to send her to the heart specialist inn Houston. I said 'you better get an appointment today or she's gonna be dead'. He came in and said the appointment was for 3:30 and got ready to walk out. I said 'aren't you even gonna listen to her heart?' He did and said 'yes she has a really loud murmur" and that was it. We left and I never took her or either of other two dogs back to him.
When we got to the heart specialist she did x-rays and an ultrasound and said it was the worst possible condition. It looked as tough her valve had turned inward...Gave her a special diet and started her on lasix and enalatril and scheduled to go back in a week. Then she added Vetmedin. In the meantime she got a congested nose and we fought that congestion for six weeks before we got it under control. She couldn't breathe and eat at the same time and wound up losing over a pound. She started out at 7 lbs and lost down to 5 lbs 15 oz. After two rounds of antibiotics, antihistamines, another med with antihistamine and a little cortisone in it (couldn't give her cortisone because of her heart condition which by the way her vet did give her), got a mask and the med to use in it , finally wound up getting a nebulizer with plain saline. After using it six times a day for three days it finally broke the congestion out. Then she got better but as soon as the antibiotics were thru she got it back again. From then on we kept her on antibiotics prophylactically and the antihistamines and the other med. She was getting five meds six times a day. She started gaining her weight back up to 6.9 lbs. Thought she was gonna make it. I tell you the next 6 1/2 months were an emotional roller coaster. She had to be taken to the emergency vet twice and the specialist emergency once, with weekly visits to them. When we did go to bed I watched her breathe. It is funny cause after her congestive heart failure she wouldn't sleep next to me any more. She laid up against the back of Eddie's legs. She knew I didn't want to her run or jump, so she would walk up to my chair, then back up for me to pick her up. when she went outside to potty she would stand when she got thru so I could go pick her up. She wound up having three or four bouts of having a hard time breathing. I got so I took syringes of lasix home with me to give her when she first started the distress. Then on December 1 in the a.m. had trouble breathing again. Took her in and they kept her overnight. Picked her up Wednesday December 2 afternoon... Also started her on another heart med. Took 12 syringes of lasix home with me. On December 7 she had another attack and I gave her an injection of lasix and it slowed it down. The same thing on Wednesday December 9. She went in for check up on December 10 and everything sounded no worse. Friday morning December 11 at 2:00 she started distress again. I gave her lasix it didn't help. Poor baby. I took her out to pee pee and she kept going. She had to hold her nose up to breathe. Gave her another injection a couple hours later, no help. My poor baby. I knew this was the end. I held her all night holding her head up so she could breathe. I had to walk with her cause she didn't want me to sit down. By 7:30 when the vet opened I told him that I was bringing her in to put her to sleep. Got there around 9:00. When the came to get her I couldn't stand to see it. I started wailing and wailing and saw her as they took her way. Reminded me of when they took Laurie away never to see her alive again. I finally told Eddie to go back there with her. They gave her a sedative first to relax her and then the other. He started crying. They put her in a hard cardboard casket like box and brought her out to me. I couldn't' stop crying. I covered my face and walked out the building and Eddie brought her and put her in my lap. I cried all day long. It was a terrible windy cold day. My brother inn law came over and helped Eddie dig a hole behind Laurie's bedroom window. they buried her beside Laurie's cat Cali. Then Eddie went out and bought wooden crosses for each grave.
