Upside Down

ugh…. took my dog to the vet today… couldn’t diagnose him because the xrays cost too much but the doctor said that he has a heart murmur but they can’t tell how to fix it unless we do that and i just did some research and found:

Grades of Murmurs

Once detected, all murmurs are assigned one of six different grades:

• Grades one and two: These are typically minor murmurs that don’t require immediate medical intervention. Most vets will ask you to keep an eye on your dog as time goes on, and report right away if your dog develops a habitual cough or lethargy. These could be signs that the murmur is getting worse and may now require treatment.
• Grades three and four: These murmurs are a bit more serious than grades one and two, so they are cause for more concern. At grade three or four, you may notice your dog tires quickly after exercise, and there may be a persistent cough that indicates some extra fluid is collecting in the lungs. Murmurs of these grades usually require medication to help regulate them.
• Grades five and six: These are the most serious grades of murmurs. Dogs diagnosed at a five or six will require medication, and may also need surgery to try to repair the defect. Murmurs at this level may eventually develop into congestive heart failure.

Ugh…i think he’s at 2-3… on top of all of this i’m leaving to vegas in 2 days and i can’t find anyone to watch him so its either going to be a. he stays in the house and someone comes to feed him or b. he stays in the patio with a heater or c. hopefully i can find someone.. he just needs a warm place to stay he’s already so old and he just sleeps all day so it really wouldn’t be a hassle, he doesn’t even bark and he’s well trained. I also feel bad asking people to watch him because if he gets more sick or something then they’ll prob feel like its their fault but it won’t be because we already know his conditions.

I also looked up avg life span for chihuahuas and it says from 15-20 but realistically 10-13 so he’s right about there, 12.5…and the most common deaths for chihuahuas are congestive heart failure…go figure.