OT - Prayers Needed

[Momto2ShihTzus]

This is a little off topic, but I desperately need some prayers. As my screen name indicates I am a Mom to 2 Shih Tzus and love the breed. Harley, is my oldest at 7, and is a very insecure submissive guy (hey there's a little on topic ) has been diagnosed with a cateract on his right eye. This is a long story, so I'll shorten it as much as possible. First thing about Harley is that he is a few fries short of a Happy Meal. His breeder, who is a professional (one of her dogs was the father of a dog trying for best of breed in the 2010 Westminster, the dog who won best of breed was a product of the couple who's Shih Tzu was featured on Dogs 101), was completely honest with me when I purchased him as a pet (no breed contract) told me that he was "slow" and would need a lot of work, plus love. He is gorgeous so I went ahead and comitted. Anyway we took him out of town today to a veterinarian who specializes in opthomology for a consult and possible surgery. She said that he was a candidate for surgery and if he didn't have it, he would go blind in that eye in as little as a few weeks or months! Of course we said go for it. They were doing his post op workup today, for surgery tomorrow, and found out that he had a heart murmur! We had no idea. So he'll have to go back to that vet on Thursday for an ultrasound, which will have to be interpreted by a cardiologist to see if it would be safe to do the surgery. If so, they can probably do it next week. In between I have 3 types of eye drops I have to give him from 1-3 times a day (absolutely NO big deal)

So anyway, if y'all can send a prayer, a healing beam, help guide him to Rainbow Bridge if that's what happens, whatever, comes to a good resolution, please send them. This sweet little dumb dog hasn't ever done a damn thing to deserve this. We just had to put down our black lab due to arthritis and his not being able to use his back legs, and 2 years ago we had to put my precious Rascal (another Shih Tzu) down due to cancer, insolinoma. Thanks.

Missi

[dontpugme]

I wish you and Harley the best...I'll pray for you guys tonight

[mustlovdoggs]

[quote="Momto2ShihTzus"]This is a little off topic, but I desperately need some prayers. As my screen name indicates I am a Mom to 2 Shih Tzus and love the breed. Harley, is my oldest at 7, and is a very insecure submissive guy (hey there's a little on topic ) has been diagnosed with a cateract on his right eye. They were doing his post op workup today, for surgery tomorrow, and found out that he had a heart murmur!
Don't worry they do the eye in dogs,just like they do people.Mom had it done and did good. The murmur my other dog had that and lived to 13.5 yrs, he had 5 surgerys with it and did great. Spencer my 9yr old has a heart murmur too. I understand. We'll pray. Let me know how the baby does. Tell us when the surgery is (the day and time) I'll think about him that day. Send him love from Me and my two dogs Spencer and Tristan

[Nettle]

Sending goodvibes ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

[Mattie]

Hugs for you first and Reiki on the way for Harley.

My SIL is a back yard breeder, she had a dog that had cateracts in both eyes when she was a year old, she bred from this little girl, needless to say I don't have anything to do with her. She wouldn't pay the money to have the eyes operated on, this little girl did have a happy life, my SIL does give the dogs lots of love and attention, she just gets money from them as well.

For the heart mumour, my little Joe has a grade 4 heart mumour as well as other heart problems, my little fiesty girl Gracie had a grade 3 heart mumour and lived until she was 17.5 years old, she had a stroke and was pts. She was a bundle of energy, tried to keep up with her 2 much bigger and younger sisters, in fact she buzzed all the time. Many dogs live happy lives with heart mumours, they don't know there is anything wrong but we go to hell and back with worry.

[Momto2ShihTzus]

Thanks for your prayers everyone. If it turns out that they can't do the surgery because of his heart, I have no problem caring for him if/when he does become blind in that eye. And who knows, he may have had this heart problem all his life. I'm taking him to Birmingham (AL) tomorrow for the ultrasound. I'll let y'all know the results as soon as I do.

Missi

[mustlovdoggs]

Let us know. I'm sorry, I just knew it was going to be ok because of my last dog. He had a long knee surgery with the heart problem. Give him a hug "a big one"

[Mattie]

Were I used to keep my horse they had a blind Collie, as long as we kept the wheelbarrows and other tools near the stables they weren't a problem, she would go down the fields with the owners, jump on and off the trailer even when moving, never bumped into anything that was in the fields, only they yard if things were left in the middle. People who didn't know her wouldn't believe she was blind.

One of my dogs that is now at the Bridge slowly went blind, the first we knew was when she stopped jumping 6ft 7ins to take herself for a walk, usually just after an hour off lead chasing bunnies Tommy adapted really well and again, you wouldn't know she was blind. Dogs normally adapt very well to being blind, especially if this is gradual.

[elsam]

Just read your post. I really hope and pray all goes well for you and you pup. I know our animals can grab a piece of our hearts that nobody else can. Please update on how everything goes.

[Duffy Jones]

Most likely your pet with have mitral valve reguratation. This is common in small breed dogs. The intensity of the murmur does not always correlate with the severity of disease. I am glad you are getting the ultrasound because that should be able to tell you the overall function of the heart and if there are medications that need to be started at this time. You will most likely get chest radiographs as well. They will want the radiographs to evaluate the lungs to see if there is fluid accumulation. We have lots of dogs with this type of disease and many can go on to live very long lives. So please let us know how things go.

The surgery for the cataracts is usually not to hard on them. They typically do great after the surgery. It sounds like you are in good hands. Hopefully the heart will not looks too bad and then you can get the surgery done. Please keep us informed.

duffy