Oh I am so so sorry to hear about Otis. I have been replying to several people, as I find some comfort in this website as I grieve the loss of our Peanut (6 y.o female flashy fawn) on 2-15-05. But your posting touches me so close to home, as we had to let peanut go as she was suffering heart failure. She was diagnosed in Dec 2003 after having a fainting episode (it ultimately happened numerous times during the period of time that we were trying to diagnose and get the proper TX in place). After EKGs and XRAYS she was diagnosed with cardiomyopothy and an enlarged heart. Of course they do not know which cauased which, but we were able to keep her living pretty normally until 2-15-05. We had her on SOTOLAL (a very good med used for humans) and it was amazing how well it worked. For the past year plus we hiked and played and she never appeared to suffer. This past Nov/dec I noticed that on our easy walks she was slowing down significantly and lagging way behind(we live in CO so she used to hike up mts with me, but the past year I kept her going on pretty flast walks). She started a few months ago to vomit occassionally, with no rhyme or reason. So in December I took her to the vet for a check up since it had been a year since she was on the meds, and her heart did look worse and they added another heart med to go along with the SOTOLAL. But we had no idea that in only over one month she would have to be let go. We were away for two weeks in January, and our dogsitter had to take her to the vet bc. she was not eating and getting bloated. Needless to say being away when that happened was so hard, and we felt totally helpless so far away. She was treated and seemed to be OK when we returned on 2-5-05, although in those two weeks her belly was totally bloated and she did look tired and old. We also found a mass in her belly (while we were away!!!) but we could not biopsy it without putting her under and we knew her heart would not survive that, so we started steroids and figured we would have several more months of her living a good life, and that as long as we kept her quiet her heart would be OK. But over the ten days that we were home i could not even take her on short walks without her laying down, her gums would turn blueish grey, and several times we thought she was dying. So we kept her quiet and just got her out on rides in the car. but last monday night i noticed her legs swelling up too, and she would not come upstairs to our bed as usual, so we slept in our LR with her. She went oustide that night in the cold and snow and layed down in a nook under our house. We had to go get her with a flashlight, and I started to know....it was going to be soon and she was seeming to be ready. Tuesday morning we took her to the vet and she declined so rapidly while we were there that we did not even bring her home. She was starting to suffer, could not breath/catch her breath, and her body would not be able to overcompensate much longer. and we knew it was time to help her find peace. We were and are devastated and I feel so terribly for you as well as i feel your pain, literally. I hope that people will learn from what we experianced with our babies and know what to ask their vet if they see fainting spells or any extreme fatigue etc....
I will be lighting candles tonight in honor of all of the babies I am reading about here. I have grown up with all of the generations of boxers that peanut is related to (my mother still has Peanut's mom, brother and sister) and my husband (and 2 year old son) now is in love itwh them too. People who do not know the breed dont seem to understand just how loving and loyal they are, and how they literally have the funniest silliest personalities ever. they are family members and we will love them always......
take good care of yourself now and stay in touch.
Peanut's (10-6-98 -2-15-05)mom
Callie Henry