[Mom2BabyNatalie]

Originally Posted by Oscar's Mom

Dena, Did the x-ray of Natalie's heart look like the picture I posted? The reason I ask is this. This is a pic of Hank's heart. Hank was an American Bulldog...I loved him with all my heart and had great hopes and dreams for him. He was a show dog from champion lines. Hank never played with the other dogs, he just did not seem interested. And his gums were always white and we wondered what was up with that. He broke a toe nail and it got infected really fast and so bad that they had to amputate part of the bone becuase the infection spread to the bone! We finally took him to two more vets and the third one actually listened to his heart. He heard a murmer and took the x-ray. He diagnosed Hank with Pulmonic Stenosis...a hole between two chambers of the heart and when the heart pumps, the blood is forced back into the wrong chamber instead of out of the heart to supply the rest of the body with blood. Hank eventually developed congestive heart failure and his abdomen filled up with fluid. During his last weekend, I had to hold him upright to sleep because he could not breathe laying down. To me, this sounds like what Natalie has. The hardest decision I ever made was to have Hank put to sleep. He could never live with this condition and he was suffering. Sometimes we have to make that choice and it is never easy. I held him and looked into his eyes as he took his last breath and I swear there was thanks in his eyes. I hope that by some miracle, Natalie makes a full recovery...but if you come to the place I came with Hank, I pray the Lord gives you the strength to do the right thing.

OMG - - - I know you meant well in sharing that.... and I am SO SORRY for the loss of your beautiful boy..... but in truth.... THAT was about the LAST story I needed to hear right now!!!!!!!!! <<more and more and more tears>>