CharlieRhea

Charlie aka cuddles aka chuckles has an appt March 17th for his echocardiogram. If he can go until then without problems i will be a happy camper !

I'm with Hubcitypam Natural Balance is a decent food and not filled with fillers as Science Diet is. i fed the sweet potato venison formula for allergies but added canned. Canned will at least up the protein in the Natural Balance. It was sold out last year? So hopefully it is still a good food.

Welcome from the snow laden state of Massachusetts!

I'm not-i see it is for a heart condition-sending good thoughts!

I will tbhounds-if it is the same vet she may dismiss it again but i will ask someone else too. What's your take? A possibility? I'm hoping.

Thank you everyone-so far so good :-) I have a theory that the Vet dismissed but here it is. I have researched and was given a handout about the pericardial effusion, it did mention trauma as one cause. About a month ago i was walking Charlie and he saw a cat. He jumped i swear 5 feet in the air! He reached the end of the leash and this is a freak thing but fell from the air smack onto his side and not his feet. I think the height and reaching end of leash caught him off balance. Anyhow, i am hoping this was the cause and this won't happen again to him and it will heal on its own. I will still bring him for his echocardiogram in 3-4 weeks. Fingers crossed! This dog is special.

http://dialogs.bravorawdiet.com/howmuch.html scroll down to bottom of page to see the percentage to feed-it says 3 percent for weight gain. You don't have to feed Bravo but can still use this calculator. My dogs get the full amount calculate divided by two as they are fed twice a day which i think is healthier than once, a lot to digest at one sitting. I thaw mine out over night and keep it refrigerated for no more than 2 days. When i make Salmon i always give them the fish skin. Sardines are good too as is salmon oil and coconut oil

Thank you!!!! There is a doctor at Tufts in Grafton MA who does minimally invasive surgery if to comes to that. I preregistered just in case

Thank you TBHounds! I couldn't find anywhere in MA, possibly Cape Cod for spay/neuter. I will have to check this out further. That would be so much easier on a dog or any animal. You would think Tufts would have this equipment, will have to check out Angell Memorial in Boston. I just researched it. Ther is a Vet at Tufts who does this minimally invasive surgery on small animals. The equipment has to be there then i assume. Does one size fit all? If this can be done if needed i will forever grateful to you

PS i see in a post i called someone greyaholic as if it was their name lol Many of us are Greyaholic! Now i forget who it was in response to, whomever mentioned bring a roasted chicken i think :-) I could go for one now, haven't been eating that much. Thank you Xtrawld and everyone

tbhounds i am thrilled to have him home-still nerved up wondering in advance will this happen tomorrow, next week or never. laparoscopically obviously would be less invasive. Tufts is wonderful but it is a teaching hospital so i don't know if they have that but will ask, thanks. I hope he doesnt need it obviously but will start saving now! Someone suggested the GoFundme site, Anyone know about that? Still it seems like begging to me and i think i'd rather borrow. TBhounds did i read a long time ago that you are a Vet Tech?

I picked Charlie up last night. He slept all night but he had an exhausting day. He had the echocardiogram which showed a "brightening" near the aorta but they do not think it is a mass. Bottom line-the cardiologist has seen dogs with this refill with fluid within a day, some with in weeks, one in a year and one never again. So we won't know which scenario for Charlie. He goes back in 3-4 weeks for another echo. I took this as a compliment, the vet said you know what signs to look out for, i trust you. Also it is not a "quote" heart condition so no meds and no restrictions. She said IF it reoccurs frequently he would need an operation. They would cut a window in the pericardio sac surrounding the heart and the fluid would drain into his chest cavity where it can handle it better and reabsorb eventually. She said start saving as it will be about $4000.00-$5000.00. I don't care about the cost but since this has set me back to broke i will need to save now!!!! His fluid did not refill in the days he was there so that is good news. Time will tell. Cancer was mentioned but not sure, just a scenario but they don't think so at this point. Also mesothelioma was mentioned. I suppose they throw out there everything they are considering but at this point it remains idiopathic.

i reposted in gagging-worse diagnosis. He has pericardio effusion and was at Tufts emergency from Wed 6pm and i was able to pick him up last night (Fri) Wish it had been a hair ball

My dear boy is home tonight and resting comfortably. I will explain further tomorrow-i'm beat but happy to have him here :-) Thanks everyone for your support!

This is the most amazing community! Greyhounds are special and so are the people that are owned by them :-) I will write more tomorrow but have to say my husband and I visited him tonight. He looked good and the people at Tufts are amazing. When it was time for us to leave the vet tech, Jenny, came in to put him back in his stall. Charlie reached his leg out to her and put his paw on her, he does that with affection. He is hooked up to EKG etc and had to stay there tonight. I had planned on it even though i want him home, i knew it was best. He sees the cardiologist tomorrow so we will know more. For now, the fluid they took out surrounding his heart has not replaced! We should know tomorrow if it is caused by tumors or ideopathic. Thank you all so much, i love you people. I will let you know tomorrow but i do think i will be taking him home! Hugs my Charlie PS Greyaholic- they preferred i didn't feed him tonight so i didn't. We are having a talk on food tomorrow which should prove interesting. I feed raw but won't get into it much right now. Low salt is key and he has no salt in raw. I will listen. Gnite-i need some sleep.

i was thinking the same thing tbhounds-i will go visit and bring him something and also my pillow case so he has my scent. Roasted chicken! We could sit and eat together. I haven't eaten since yesterday early. Starting to get hungry. They said he was eating well.

good to know Greyaholic. Although this seems as if meds aren't the answer-either the heart builds fluid again and if it does it means surgery to remove the periocardiac sac, hopefully no tumors which is the worst case scenario. Trying to remain positive-not easy I suppose it is the suddeness of this also

Thank you MaryJane and everyone-i feel so numb

and of course it is snowing yet again

Tufts Doctors have been warm and knowledgeable. I have to decide later whether i should bring him home later as at the moment he is stable. Or have him stay overnight as it is tomorrow he sees the cardiologist. I want him home but he hates the car and i would hate to stress him further. I can't decide at the moment what to do, will decide later. They have visiting hours later. I'm being too emotional right now and just want what is best for Charlie cuddles

Send good thoughts for my 5 yr old Charlie. I posted last week? about his gagging which stopped. He hasn't been acting right, i took him to Tufts emergency around 6pm. He is diagnosed with pericardial effusion. He is there now and i will be getting a phone call around 10 or 11 am to see if the fluid which they removed most of has come back. If not i can take him home today and have an appt Fri with the cardiologist. At this point it is not known if it is ideopathic or a tumor. THis SUX He is so very special! I loved and love all my dogs but Charlie is special. Last weeks appt at 'former" regular vet had his heart healthy and everything else. The vet @ Tufts who fell in love with Charlie right away said this has been going on awhile and the heart sound was muffled which made her check out his heart. Hope i am making sense as i haven't slept but maybe an hour or two.

Thanks tbounds-still watching closely :-)

XTRAWLD-Do you use powdered form and how much? I believe i can get it @ Whole Foods Market

TBhounds is right, groomers only do the external area and if they don't know what they are doing they can cause harm. As far as i know, if it is anal gland issues you will smell a strong smell. Charlie does this on rare occasions and then not at all for a very long time.

thanks Moneypenny-no episodes last night. This morning he did have an episode upon waking. Shorter, less severe. He doesn't have the usual symptoms of acid reflux as someone suggested. No vomiting or drooling. I gave home some warm goats milk with honey melted in. just a little. I am hoping that will help soothe his throat and stop this. If not, i will get a 2nd opinion. IF ist is something like GERD i don't want his trachea damaged. I hand fed him this morning to slow his eating, he does eat fast. Although he never has symptoms after eating. Very frustrating! I have loved all my dogs but Charlie is special. Not sure why, maybe because i know he had a hard start in life or maybe it's those eyes and the way he reaches towards me with his leg & and touches me with his paw when he is laying next to me.