Princess Cassie :(

[IvoryRain]

Taken from my live journal on March 9th:


Cassie is the free GSD puppy I was given - the one I had searched for so long for Mom and Dad. I believe they brought her home on the 3rd of January but I may be wrong. She was 6 weeks old at the time.


Sunday Mom called in a panic. Cassie was very ill. After taking her to their vet they were referred to a specialist. After that she was sent to a big vet hospital - because she is in heart failure.

Her heart has a defect that keeps the blood from being cleaned - something about a valve being shut, and it has gotten real bad.

Cassie stayed at the vet overnight and has been there since Sunday afternoon.

Yesterday she was showing some signs of improvement and reaction to the medications she is on. IF she doesn't die before Thursday she'll be having open heart surgery.

 

[IvoryRain]

Here she is in better times with me:

 

[IvoryRain]

Update taken from my live journal on March 15th:


Cassie is fine but its been rough.


Thursday she went in for heart surgery. It was supposed to take about 45 minutes but there were problems and it took just over 2 hours.

During the surgery one of her arteries collapsed and she had to have that fixed and an emergency blood transfusion (gotta love the resident greyhounds!) of 120 ml, I believe.

I went down to Mom and Dads on Friday after work to stay with them. I cleaned house for Mom Friday and Saturday while they were away picking Cassie up.

She came home Saturday and is a mess. Its just too sad. She is about 4 months old and weighs 17 lbs from her ordeal. One side is shaved. They spread open the 6th and 7th rib in order to get to the heart and they had to put in a tube for her lungs there in her side so she has a big cut with 22 stitches and a hole that is healing.

Because she had heart surgery and they had to rebuild the artery, she has to stay in a box for two weeks and she can't eat hard food, play, get excited, chew on rawhides or anything - or really be a dog at all.

She is on heart medicine, pain medicine, blood pressure medicine and some medicine that makes her pee a lot (pass fluids, a diaretic I think) but I dont understand why she needs to pee so much. Something about fluid on her lungs.

If she dares jump or anything and breaks that artery that was repaired with metal sutures she will quite quickly bleed to death so we are a long way from out of the woods.

Mom took off work for this week to be with her and next week when she goes back Dad will work second shift so Cassie wont be alone long.

The sad part is that she is so thin but she cant eat a lot for fear of stressing her system. For these two weeks she can only have a quarter of a cup of canned food every four hours.

So far, so good but the stress is killing us!

 

[IvoryRain]

Cassie resting in her box:

 

[IvoryRain]

Cassie is slowly but surely recovering. Here she is with Mom and Dad:

 

[devoted daughter]

I'm so sorry! I will pray for her; may she be healed, and have the strength to endure surgery, and recover fully; may you have peace and comfort.

 

[devoted daughter]

The sad part is that she is so thin but she cant eat a lot for fear of stressing her system. For these two weeks she can only have a quarter of a cup of canned food every four hours.

Have you considered those tiny cans of baby food, say, chicken? that is pure, and loaded with protein, and the chicken might be easier on her system. Maybe a teaspoon or two, now and again. Also, pedialite to balance her electrolites and keep her hydrated?
and

 

[Jynarik Slushy]

Have you considered those tiny cans of baby food, say, chicken? that is pure, and loaded with protein, and the chicken might be easier on her system. Maybe a teaspoon or two, now and again. Also, pedialite to balance her electrolites and keep her hydrated?
and

Just thought I would add if you did do that, stay away from the ones with garlic and/or onion.

Hope she gets better soon.

 

[kellyc]

please tell your parents how much i appreciate your parents for taking such good care of cassie, and you too! i know it is a huge ordeal, and i will pray for her quick recovery. she is a beautiful girl.

 

[MaddiesDad]

what a great pet owner you are God Bless!