Another Chapter in Claire's Comeback Story 2.0

Cardiac arrhythmias can be a complication following the type of surgery Claire had last weekend. They are usually resolved within a few days but Claire is a unicorn.

And so we spent the day at vet yesterday because Claire had a rapid, erratic heart rate and low blood pressure.

Symptoms were very subtle. She seemed not as “great” as she had been on all the other days since she came home from the veterinary ER. She left a little bit of food in her bowl after breakfast 🤯. I checked her gums — they were less pink than normal.

Off to the vet.

Once it was clear we were staying at the clinic for the day, I went home to tend the other girls and gather needed supplies.

The Lucky Happy Hippie Heart.

My most powerful Lucky Socks.

And my laptop so I could do some grading while I sat with my girl.

Our veterinarian was calling all over to do consults with other smart veterinarians because it wasn’t clear why this was happening. Truthfully, it still isn’t — but the best collective guess is a post-surgical complication that is more extended than typically seen. Another option that is less likely but still a possibility — a blood clot.

A day of fluids righted Claire’s heart rhythm and raised her blood pressure. We picked up medication on the way home (beta blocker). Claire still has her catheter in because it is completely possible this will happen again, and starting an IV on a dog (or person) with low blood pressure is tough.

I am checking her pulse and gums regularly — so far, so good 🍀🙏

Wow. Just wow.

I am not even sure what else to say — this is all wild.

Please have a wonderful, restful, amazing weekend with whatever rhythm is perfect for you ❤️

Reminder & Gratitude

Barb sent me an important message that is worth repeating so we can all be reminded: Just because something bad happens — even though we do all the right things — doesn’t mean we stop doing all those right things.

We reduce — not eliminate — the likelihood of random bad shit by making smart choices. And so we should keep on stacking the deck in every way we can, even as we know that doesn’t guarantee a winner.

The only thing I will add to my stacked deck is this — I will do Prophylactic Gastropexy (stomach tacking) when my girls are spayed. This doesn’t eliminate the bloat risk but it does make stomach torsion unlikely, and torsion is the real scary killer; I am exploring whether Prophylactic Gastropexy has an impact on the splenic torsion risk.

I am in the Hyper-Vigilance Stage of things right now, and this is understandable. When I must leave the house, Claire goes with me in a crate so I can check on her. I also have the security camera trained on the other dogs so I can monitor them and make sure they are okay.

I do not try to talk myself out of feeling so traumatized and terrified — what happened was traumatizing and terrifying — how I feel is normal, typical, expected.

Yes, it helps that Claire is so clearly doing well but it so easily could have gone a different way, and knowing that chills me to my bones.

That said, I feel so very lucky 🍀

I was here.

She had only been outside (and out of my sight) for one hour — it happened SO FAST.

I knew what was happening.

I had access to skilled veterinary care.

Claire is super resilient (and in great shape).

She survived.

I am so grateful.

Still Good!

Claire is doing so well. What a relief.

And here are a couple of photos from the Specialty — Capella on her way to an Award of Merit.

I still cannot believe it! Wow.

I hope your week is going well!