Hi bjh,
Thank you for your reply. According to the vet, she detected a heart murmur. I was under the impression that stage 1 would be detected by a stethoscope, but in the range of stage 3 and up one could physically feel the erratic heart beat.
Bandit has regular vet check-ups, heart-worm meds, etc. It still feels odd this is stage 3 considering no detection prior. I can understand the hearing loss, but the instantaneousness of chf puzzles me.
Looking through the forums I see people with a lot worse to deal with, and we're looking with Bandit at some longevity while properly medicated. The suddenness of a dog with such a youthful disposition taking such a turn is the shocking part...and the fact not being able to communicate the fact of his condition when he loves to play 'all of the time' is disheartening as well.
I can afford a second opinion right now and I am not concerned about any retaliation from a perceived lack of confidence in our vet from their angle. Bandit is my concern right now, not the feelings of the vet.
If his hearing is gone, we at least enjoyed the last Paul McCartney album together. The song 'New' is our song...and as weird as it seems, it means a lot to have shared that experience with a pet...yet it also is saddening knowing we won't hear it together again.
Bandit also LOVES this song..here's the YouTube link, and I hope some other yorkies out there like it too:
Thank you again for your encouragement!