OP
AstroDad
Contributor
Everyone: Thanks for the warm and caring comments, but PLEASE understand this is not about my loss. It's about you and yours.
Rachel was a 85lb Black Lab and to look at her you'd swear she was in fine health. She was the tail-waggingest dog you'd ever meet. Throw her red rubber bone and she'd tear off after it - full bore. If I had read my post two weeks ago, I would have thought "sad, but I'm OK". You simply CANNOT rely on how "happy" your dog is. Some dogs, like Rachel, are happy ALL THE TIME under any condition.
In retrospect, there were symptoms that I missed for almost a year prior to her death. She tired easier than before. It used to be that she would chase that red rubber bone all day long; this past year after one or two tosses, she walked back - instead of running back. I assumed it was because she was getting "middle-aged". Her breathing became somewhat heavier. Hard to explain, but when you spend 24/7 with an animal, you can just tell. Lastly, and this was the big one, she had this dry hacking cough. Not much of a cough, just one or two spats and that would be it. I never thought much of it. I'm not even sure I ever mentioned it to the vet in all her visits. Turns out that cough was caused by her enlarged heart pressing against her esophagus.
Again, thanks for the comments, but PLEASE, I'd rather hear that you're taking your pet to the vet. Do not think it "can't happen to you". It can.
Rachel was a 85lb Black Lab and to look at her you'd swear she was in fine health. She was the tail-waggingest dog you'd ever meet. Throw her red rubber bone and she'd tear off after it - full bore. If I had read my post two weeks ago, I would have thought "sad, but I'm OK". You simply CANNOT rely on how "happy" your dog is. Some dogs, like Rachel, are happy ALL THE TIME under any condition.
In retrospect, there were symptoms that I missed for almost a year prior to her death. She tired easier than before. It used to be that she would chase that red rubber bone all day long; this past year after one or two tosses, she walked back - instead of running back. I assumed it was because she was getting "middle-aged". Her breathing became somewhat heavier. Hard to explain, but when you spend 24/7 with an animal, you can just tell. Lastly, and this was the big one, she had this dry hacking cough. Not much of a cough, just one or two spats and that would be it. I never thought much of it. I'm not even sure I ever mentioned it to the vet in all her visits. Turns out that cough was caused by her enlarged heart pressing against her esophagus.
Again, thanks for the comments, but PLEASE, I'd rather hear that you're taking your pet to the vet. Do not think it "can't happen to you". It can.
