2016 has been an awful year so far. I personally have had two major surgeries. But the worse of it is back in the early spring the vet told me my little Shih Tzu has trachea problems and enlarged heart and congestive heart failure. She is 14 and I was shocked because this came on so fast. But it seems the medicine is helping the trachea and the heart medicine is not improving of course but helping her to hold her own. I was informed three years would be a long time for her to have left
Last week I took my 16 year old Yorkie to the vet because she was falling down. She would just be standing there and than fall over, but bounce right back up. This was happening more often so I figured she better be checked out. She has had a heart murmur for years but it never seemed to bother her. She has been on Thyroid med for a couple of years also. Now Hanna has had dementia for a couple of years now and is almost completely blind. But her hearing is great, she just can't understand much anymore.
Well I asked the vet to check her out completely, to make sure everything was working as it should be and her meds were still right. Xrays, blood work etc. I don't know if I am glad or sorry I had this done.
I was shocked to learn Hanna also has an enlarged heart, congestive heart failure and the murmur has gotten bad enough he could not only hear it but feel it on her side. They had to put her on a fluid pill like Tiffany, and they are both on heart meds 2 times a day and they had to double Hannas thyroid medicine.
He told me neither girl really has long left. They still love us, pretty much like to eat but sleep most of the time and now Hannas falling over happens 3 or 4 times a day.
I just don't know how I am gonna get through this period of knowing I am going to lose them both and that each day could be the last.
Everyone is saying you need to get a puppy, NO! I can not imagine ever loving like this again knowing how bad I am hurting watching my babies go away a piece at a time.
They are not in pain. I would not allow that as bad as it would be, but this is totally killing me. The vet said too many things can be causing Hanna to fall over so there is no treatment. They are both on more meds than I am, so I don't know of anything more I can do.
Neither dog is fighting for breath, they have coughing fits but no gasping or turning blue. I would not make them suffer like that
How do you who have been through this many times endure it??? It is a battle to do anything with the family because I don't want to leave the girls alone and I am always on the brink of tears if not outright crying. I did not realize how much I loved these girls and I just don't know how to handle this part of their life. I know love them and all that but how do you deal with the pain that is eats you up daily, knowing you are going to have to let them go?
I have dealt with sudden death from family members, but nothing like this. This knowing what is happening, this seeing the changes every day. I am 68 years old and cry every day, hold them closer every day, and my heart is breaking every day. It's just too much pain, too much sadness. I don't know how to get through it.