BYC Café

[Sally PB]

Hoping we don't lose power here. Or that anything comes down on vehicles or buildings.

 

[DobieLover]

OMG. I just got off the phone with M.
Brohdi died! He just turned 4. He had sudden death. DCM. The youngest I lost a dog to it was 6yrs, 3mos old.
She's devastated. They didn't even have him 2 years.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I am so sorry they lost him that way!

 

[Sally PB]

Oh no! I'm so sorry!

 

[LaFleche]

OMG. I just got off the phone with M.
Brohdi died! He just turned 4. He had sudden death. DCM. The youngest I lost a dog to it was 6yrs, 3mos old.
She's devastated. They didn't even have him 2 years.

So sorry for all of you!

 

[DobieLover]

Good morning Cafe. Coffee is ready.

It is rainy out now. I was 80 yesterday. Tomorrow's high will be in the mid-40s.

I dropped the pond level yesterday, squeezed into my waders and got the pond plants all pruned out. Only one little frog went zinging out of the settlement tank into the back yard. He seems to have made the journey without getting injured in the sludge pump.

As I was pruning everything out, there were a heck of a lot more frogs in the pond than I realized. I have to try to get as many of them out as possible because they like to burrow into the mud at the bottom of ponds to hibernate. But they end up in my bottom drain but drown when spring comes and they come out of dormancy and can't figure out how to get out.

 

[aart]

He had sudden death. DCM.

Heart condition?
Was he on medication?

 

[DobieLover]

Heart condition?
Was he on medication?

Dilated Cardiomyopathy. He was not diagnosed. Shadow had been diagnosed and had sudden death so she was listening to Brodhi's heart constantly.

It often goes undetected in Dobermans but kills 40% of all of them. Half of that 40% has sudden death because the heart goes into a massive arrhythmia and can't pump blood. So they pass out, go completely limp and die if they don't develop a normal rhythm again. M & S literally attempted CPR on him.

When Bridget, my little red C&D girl dropped dead at my feet, I thought about doing heart compressions on her but didn't. I told that to the vet I used when I had Bridget. She told me that there was a client that had a young Dobie that fainted. They recommended a Holter monitor for him. She had an appointment for her Dobie to go over the Holter results. He dropped in the waiting room at the vet's office. Every vet in the building descended on that dog and did immediate lifesaving measures and could not get his heart back into a normal rhythm. He died regardless. He was only 20 months old.

The point of her telling me that is that the last memories I would have had of Bridget would be me beating on her chest when it would have done no good. I had told M&S that story before. They tried anyway.

She is again blaming herself for her dog's death. For letting Brodhi be Brodhi and run around the yard and play fetch with S. She thinks that is what caused his heart to fail. It's ridiculous. I said to her "M... would you have your next dog strapped into a cart and roll him all around and keep him in a bubble to try to prevent him from "over exerting" himself his whole life? You did NOTHING wrong. It's just the way this breed is."

It will be a long time before they recover. I don't know if they will get another Dobie after losing both of the Dobies they've had to DCM. Both with sudden death.

I came to terms with this sad trait of the breed long ago after losing Dylan to it and researching the snot out of the condition within the breed. It doesn't change all their other incredible traits and they still deserve a great life for as long as it lasts. But I will always shoot for having 2 dogs. It makes the lost more bearable when you have another dog to focus on that still needs you.

 

[sourland]

Good morning, Cafe', and thanks for the coffee.

The loss of a dog hurts. For me the loss of a young dog hurts even more deeply. I am still grieving Maggie Mae, and doubt that we will ever have another indoor dog.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Good morning and thanks for the hot coffee!
Sorry for the loss of your friend, Brodie, DL. Hugs to all
Orca, happy sunning!
There is yet another doc appt... it has been a long week and I have book group tonight. I need to tidy my house a bit.
We had a bear or a trickortreater snag the candy out of the bowl, lol.
Less for me to eat, sigh.

Have a good one!