Heartbroken

My heart broke a little bit today...

Dotty got sick again, this time it came on so fast.  She went to bed feeling fine and woke up at 4:00 a.m. on Friday morning with a cough.  We should have taken her in that morning but we didn't we waited until today.

We thought it was kennel cough.  Which would be the second time she's had kennel cough in the last few months.  The only problem with the kennel cough theory is she isn't coming down with the cough after she goes to the kennel or park or anywhere else where she may catch the virus.  So we were a little dumbfounded.

Jon had to go to Munich today so I was on my own.  Jon tried to call and warn them let them know I was coming but they've recently changed their number.  So I had to figure out what to do with two dogs and a baby, I didn't know if they could see me, and I didn't know if the English speaking vet was going to be on duty.    I put Ripley in the bathroom and I headed out with Alessandra and Dotty.

Luckily the vets office was empty and the English speaking vet was there.  They brought me right in and started the check up.  She was listening to her chest for what felt like ages.  And then she lowered the stethoscope and told me that there was definitely some fluid and she was having a hard time breathing but she was more alarmed by her heart beat.  It wasn't beating as strong as it should be.  She suggested we get Dotty an x-ray.  I called Jon and we agreed that we should.  30 minutes later we were looking at her chest x-ray and it was just what she had suspected.  Dotty's heart is enlarged, she has congestive heart failure.  She said dogs usually get it when they are between 7 and 12 years old and unfortunately Dot is on the younger end of that.  Tears started welling up in my eyes and she said to me "There is no need for drama - she will not be dying today.  She just needs to take medicine for her heart."  I asked if she would need the medicine for the rest of her life and she said "Probably, but for right now she's okay."  Oh Germans, they are so matter of fact.  So she wrote up four different prescriptions, two for the cough and congestion and two for her heart.

While I was there I asked about Ripley and I told her how she's been so skittish lately and she asked if it started about the time Dotty got sick last time.  It had.  So she asked if Dotty was the Alpha.  She is.  And she said that's probably why Ripley has been so nervous lately, she probably knows that Dotty is sick and is worried.  So, once again I had tears welling up in my eyes.  I love these girls so much and they love each other so much.  It made me feel even worse about Ripley.  UUGGHH!!  Why can't dogs talk, if they could've just told me what was going on.  Okay, dogs don't talk and they won't and we're doing as much as we can for them but sitting there in the vets office I could feel my heart breaking.

To summarize, Dotty's heart is breaking.  

My first baby girl is sick and my second baby girl is worried sick.  

My heart is breaking.
Okay, no more welling, I can't hold it in anymore.