Oh my gosh, how scary. Poor Asia. We are thinking of her and sending her positive healing vibes.
I have always been told that because boxers are known to have heart-related problems, most vets operate on the assumption that a fainting episode is heart-related. First off, take a deep breath and calm down. Try not to panic. Knowledge is power, and the vet should be gathering as much information as he can. You would rather he be looking at her heart, than brushing you off with some unfounded explanation and then have your baby go home and collapse. He should run an ECG, do a chest X-ray, urine tests, blood work, etc. to see if there is anything obvious. I have heard a slow heart rate can be caused by hypothyroidism, so I assume a blood test would rule that out. When my Lacy was a young dog, she fainted several times. We did much testing in the regular vet’s office and we were referred to a cardiologist for heart testing (echocardiogram and holter monitor). We were fortunate in that Lacy’s episodes were not heart related, but we never did find out what made her faint. It was scary for us to go through all of this, however, I appreciated the fact that the vet knew it could be her heart, and referred us to a cardiologist to rule out a heart problem.
If this vet feels that something is going on with Asia’s heart, please ask to be referred to a Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist. Don’t even think twice about going to a cardiologist, just do it. When Lacy was going through all of her testing at the regular vets, the vet was concerned (and scared us) about the size of Lacy’s heart. The cardiologist took a look at the films, and had no problem with what she saw. These folks are the ones who truly know the heart, and how to treat heart conditions. A regular vet may have some basic knowledge of medications, etc. but you really want a specialist to assess the situation and handle health care if a problem is determined.
As a lot of you know, our puppy Belle had a very serious heart condition, so I know my experience with Belle influences how I handle situations now. I will probably always jump to the worst conclusion, and then be happy it’s not the worst. I don’t think I will ever take my dog’s health care for granted. I learned you must be proactive and research. In the past, I may have considered watching and waiting if something weird was going on with my dog, but not any more. If there is any possibility (even remote) that something is going on with my dog’s heart, I would skip the vet and go straight to a cardiologist. Heart conditions are serious and require immediate medical attention. This is what you have done, took Asia for immediate medical attention. Let’s pray they rule out a heart problem, but be glad you were there to see what happened and provide the medical care she may need if there is a problem.
Let us know when you hear anything more from the vet. We will keep Asia in our prayers.
