 Barked: Fri Jan 25, '13 4:22pm PST |
 | |  | | The last week of July Bella was playing in the yard with the other dogs and she suddenly looked disorientated and weak..then she fainted and was unconscious for about 3 min. She came back and took a few more min to sit up and then was up and moving about 15 min after.
I called the vet and they said it was a seizure and bring her in if she had another. I did not think it was a seizure but I decided I would also just watch her. At her next biannual check up I expressed my concerns with the doctor and described using Bella exactly what happened. The doctor decided it was not seizure activity and we decided on a chest X-ray. The X-ray showed right ride enlargement and we were referred to the cardiologist.
The cardiologist ran EKG/ECG and dye test. They determined Bella had a hole between the L and R atrium, heart murmur, and 3 moderate leaking valves. The doctor said none of them were severe enough to cause her symptoms and wanted to send her to NC State and have her wear a heart monitor. We saw the cardiologist in Dec. We had decided to recover our costs a little before going any further...and Bella has not had another episode since July.
Tonight Bella collapsed again. She was out longer this time and took even longer to get up. The strange thing is she wasn't even doing anything. She was walking towards the back of the yard and she just collapsed. I did not see her go down this time, but I found her laying on her side unconscious a couple seconds after she fainted. The poor girl had to lay in the snow until she could get up.
We really do not know where to go from here, the halter monitor is only to prove arrhythmia and we can not afford NC State and the halter is costly at 575. We have been managing by watching her triggers and stopping her to calm down but this came out of no where. Bella also has early renal disease, severe food allergies, and hypothyroidism. I want to do what is best for Bella but I am not sure how much taking her to NC State can actually help. So things are not options due to financial reasons. She has quarterly bloodwork now and biannual exams at her vet, and now has to be seen at the cardiologist biannually too.
I guess I am just looking for anyone who knows anything, or just has an opinion. Just trying to form a thought on the situation. I want to do what I can, Bella is only 3..so lots of life left...but financially we also have to think about everyone. We have the money to do some, but I also have to keep up with her other ailments. The bloodwork runs about 175, and exams 75, and her cardiologist is 500 per visit.
Thanks in advance for anything you have to say 
Edit to add: an hour or two after her collapse my husband returned from work, she had been sleeping up till then and her front leg was not working right. She wasn't dragging it but she wasn't really lifting it either. The weight wasn't right, and she was having trouble controlling where it went. Her heart was beating so hard and erratically but only on one side, the other you could barely feel it. She seems 100% this morning, I guess it was the excitement so soon after?
Edit to add again: cardiologist wants to repeat EKG/ECG again...but also waiting on aspiration results of mass cell tumor on foot  I am thinking a event monitor (one week period) vs holter monitor(24 hr period) would be more beneficial?Edited by author Mon Jan 28, '13 8:32am PST
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and prayers for Bella.
