LOVE these ears!!!!
We had the BEST time hiking at Sugarloaf!! Perfect weather for it and we did Sugarloaf itself Saturday. Major work-out, straight up, but good clear footing since we were hiking up the skiing trails. Lots of beautiful wildflowers! It was Spur's first real mountain hike and he had a BALL!!! We were all pleasantly tired that night!
Today we hiked, or planned to hike up Cranberry peak. About a 3 mile hike. Got about half way and Spur collapsed.
He seemed fine on our hike up Sugarloaf mountain yesterday. Tough, straight up hike, up a BIG mountain. Hot day, we all dragged. Now that I think back maybe he dragged more than the Pin Heads? Sometimes he just worries and hangs by me, though. We hiked the ski hills, so we did pass some big, scary buildings and such, the stuff that carries the ski lifts. He seemed to manage it fine, though.
Today, however, we did a regular woods mountain hike and about half way up he was really lagging, after racing the woods with Colby chasing chippies and having a ball he started lagging. Cool in the woods, shady and damp. They were really having a great time!! Then he started to really lag. Lagged enough I looked at him and said......."Don't let the Pin Heads outrun you, dude!" and looked closer and decided to stop and let him rest. Next thing I know he collapses. Can't get comfortable, cries and whines and fusses and collapses. We sat there and let him nap, I took his heart rate, a pretty normal 60, although at rest his is about 45. His gums looked fine, his respiration was normal through the whole thing. He napped for about 20 minutes, while Rich considered a sling to carry him down. He gets up and manages to make it down unaided. In fact, he ended up having to go on a leash because he started to really race around. We came home early.
I can't hear a heart murmur, but his heart is VERY loud. I think he can have dilated cardiomyopathy without a heart murmur. I will get him in to my vet tomorrow morning. Right now he is resting and acting normal.
He seemed fine on our hike up Sugarloaf mountain yesterday. Tough, straight up hike, up a BIG mountain. Hot day, we all dragged. Now that I think back maybe he dragged more than the Pin Heads? Sometimes he just worries and hangs by me, though. We hiked the ski hills, so we did pass some big, scary buildings and such, the stuff that carries the ski lifts. He seemed to manage it fine, though.
Today, however, we did a regular woods mountain hike and about half way up he was really lagging, after racing the woods with Colby chasing chippies and having a ball he started lagging. Cool in the woods, shady and damp. They were really having a great time!! Then he started to really lag. Lagged enough I looked at him and said......."Don't let the Pin Heads outrun you, dude!" and looked closer and decided to stop and let him rest. Next thing I know he collapses. Can't get comfortable, cries and whines and fusses and collapses. We sat there and let him nap, I took his heart rate, a pretty normal 60, although at rest his is about 45. His gums looked fine, his respiration was normal through the whole thing. He napped for about 20 minutes, while Rich considered a sling to carry him down. He gets up and manages to make it down unaided. In fact, he ended up having to go on a leash because he started to really race around. We came home early.
I can't hear a heart murmur, but his heart is VERY loud. I think he can have dilated cardiomyopathy without a heart murmur. I will get him in to my vet tomorrow morning. Right now he is resting and acting normal.
I can't bear the thought that he just did his last ever mountain hike? Maybe there is something else going on? Maybe he just had a bad stomach cramp? Can dogs "tie up" like horses? I just can't imagine what's going on other than a bad heart, but he heart does sound strong. But, so did Jess' and she had a very bad heart.
Anyway, regardless of that bummer news I did get some really great photos!!! Let's all think really good thoughts tomorrow that Spur's heart is perfectly fine and some other, more benign issue is going on.
No comments:
Post a Comment