Parka

It’s been nearly a week since we said goodbye to our little guy. It’s so hard to imagine time could possibly pass without him. Over this last week, though, we have had an outpouring of wonderful people reaching out to us in our time of sadness. It has been a great reminder of the life we have and, although I am still struggling to imagine life without Parka, I am thankful for those who are showing me the way.

Some of those same people have been kind enough (brave enough?) to ask about Parka’s last moments and what happened after. These same people have dogs of their own and they were uncertain what to expect when it was time to say goodbye to their own furry friends. So, I agreed to visit this blog one more time to add information and resources for anyone out there facing that last mile with their beloved pooch.

First, we had to go to an emergency vet clinic in the area to explore what our options were. For us, Parka’s liver and pancreas values were through the roof. In the case of the liver values, his were 44 times normal. So, if normal is 100 and 400 is alarming, Parka’s values were 4400. We needed to get to an emergency vet clinic fast and we needed one equipped with weekend radiologists who could do an ultrasound.

In our particular area, which is near Phoenix, Arizona, we went to the VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona (VCA ARECA) in Mesa. This hospital is open 24 hours a day and has doctors and techs on staff all the time. They also have specialists, such as radiologists, available over the weekends.

For those not in Arizona, do a search for VCA Animal Hospitals or go to the link above to search that website for a location nearest you. VCA is a group of animal hospitals across the US. In fact, when we lived in Seattle, we took Parka to a general practice clinic which was affiliated with VCA and I know they had a specialty clinic nearby as well.

Once we had the results of all the tests and we knew the end was near, the doctors at VCA ARECA gave Mr. P an extra dose of pain medication so we could bring him home and spend some time with him. Our initial thinking was that we would contact a mobile vet to come to the house to administer the last moments, but there was not time for that. Looking back, as much as I had initially hoped he could be in our arms in our home when he breathed his last breath, a part of me is thankful that we did not go that route because that would be another memory which would make it hard to be in the house. Being that he was so much a part of our lives at home, the house is filled with special memories but right now to remember that we had to say goodbye at home would have been too painful.

Parka near a window.

Instead of saying goodbye at our house, then, we took him to an emergency vet which is more local to where we are: the Emergency Animal Clinic (EAC) of Arizona. This is where we took Parka when he had his bout with congestive heart failure more than two-and-a-half years ago. It is a clean facility filled with compassionate, hard-working doctors and techs. We did call ahead to let them know why we were coming in and to double-check that it was okay. We also had papers from the VCA ARECA which indicated what our plans were. These papers were from the doctor at VCA ARECA and showed that Parka’s condition was not going to get better. Having these helped get us through the door without having to answer a million questions during a time when we could barely see through the cloud of tears in our hearts and eyes.

We did have to fill out some paperwork when we got there, though. One of the things we had to decide was whether we were going to take the body with us, have a third-party pick up the body for cremation, or have the EAC dispose of the body for us. (Saying it like that is so clinical, but that is how it is worded on the forms.) As you will see below, we opted to take the body with us to Fairwinds Pet Memorial, so, after Parka had passed away, the doctor took his body to the back and laid him in a cardboard coffin for us. They also made a little clay print of Parka’s paw for us and etched his name into the clay as well.

Not surprisingly, the cardboard coffin was tiny. It was strange how it didn’t really feel like it weighed more than Mr. P had his whole life. The cardboard is, of course, lightweight, but I expected it to have a bulkier feel than it did. The weird things one thinks about when they are in mourning can never be explained.

As I said, we took his body to Fairwinds Pet Loss and Memorial Services in Phoenix where Mary Rauchwarter took care of us and everything else. She took charge of the coffin as soon as we walked in and, before we knew it, she had the body of our little guy “sleeping” in a little cushioned basket. She gave us time to sit with him and, when we were ready, we went out to her office and went over what we wanted. We wanted to be present for his cremation. We wanted an urn etched with his name, birth date and death date. We asked for a little baggie with part of his ashes in it so we could spread them in the park behind our house. We wanted some time to say goodbye.

There were some other options she gave us. Some things we accepted, others we declined. Mostly, it’s how many little mementos did we want–paw print frames and boxes, jewelry embossed with his very own paw print and/or nose print, jewelry with his DNA in it. There was never any pressure from Mary about any of it. She simply, gently showed us what was possible and allowed us to decide what all we wanted.

By the way, Mary has a list of resources on her website. I highly recommend going there if for no other reason than to learn about what’s possible for you and your pet when you must grieve their loss. For both Mike and me, we are incredibly thankful to Mary for being the kind of person who is compassionate and strong enough to face the kind of loss she sees in people’s hearts day after day.

The day after Mr. P died, we went back to Mary’s funeral home (because that’s what it is). She had cleaned up our little guy and placed him in a pet bed with a blanket. He looked like he could get up any minute and start barking. Of course, he didn’t. After we cried for a while, we told her we were ready (we lied–we were never going to be ready, but it didn’t help to prolong things). Then we followed her out to the crematorium where she laid our buddy into the oven and closed the door forever.

That particular avenue is not for everyone. I barely made it through. I wanted to run over and pull him out and breathe life back into him. Now, though, there is no question in my mind that he is gone. I have the ashes to prove it, but I have the memory to darken any possible doubt. It still makes me angry that he is gone, but I know now that no matter how hard I wish, his death is not reversible. We faced the finality with stark reality.

If you do not live in the Phoenix area, I recommend doing a Google search for “pet memorial services” or “pet cremation”. You will see there are different options in a lot of places. You can be present for the cremation or not. As I said above, you can opt for a service like Mary’s to pick your pet up from wherever his or her death took place (your home or a clinic). Mary does do pick ups and she is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We did not have her pick up because we wanted to be with our guy as long as we could.

One last thing. This has been heart-wrenching. Both Mike and I have had moments of sheer madness where we screamed at the heavens and rolled on the floor. (Okay. I was the only one rolling on the floor because that’s where Parka used to greet us and I had this irrational sense that maybe, just maybe, he would come up and surprise me with his wet kisses. As I said, death does not breed rationality.)

One bright moment in all of this was when we took the little bag of ashes which had been set aside for us to take to the park. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined how therapeutic that would be to sprinkle little bits of ash in all his favorite places. Yet, both of us had a smile on our faces before we were done and there was, even for a moment, a sense of relief for him, of happiness even.

We’ve been back to those places since then and have seen that the ashes are still there. I have this theory that as the ashes dissipate and move on, so too will our grief and sadness. I think it will always be a part of us in some way–no different than the wind which will take his ashes to parts unknown will always be with us. At least that gives us some peace of mind to be able to visit his favorite spots and walk through favorite memories.

Goodbye, Parka.

The world seems to be spinning all around us but our world has stopped. We sit in our empty house now and see his bed, his Sherpa bag, the little steps he used to get off the couch or bed, his pictures, his food dish. We woke this morning with no one to walk, no one to give medicine to. We have a pantry full of soups and Vienna sausages bought just for him, a fridge of lunch meat no one else in our house eats. Parka is gone.

Back when he recovered from congestive heart failure, I asked him to tell me when it was time to go. He told us both. For two days he did not eat and wanted nothing to do with food. When a day had gone by and he still had no interest in eating, I took him to the vet. After extensive tests and an ultrasound, we discovered that, not only did Parka have a severe case of pancreatitis, his liver was failing, his kidneys were failing, he had tumors on his adrenal glands, and–worst of all–he had an obstruction in his gallbladder that the vets said looked like cancer, based on where it was and how it had developed.

The prognosis was not good. If it was just pancreatitis and hepatitis, they thought he could get better with a few days in the hospital. If he just had the tumors on his adrenal glands, they could work through that with chemotherapy. But the blockage in the gallbladder meant surgery and, with everything else failing, it was likely he would not survive it.

Parka was in a lot of pain. Even dosed up high on pain medications, he whimpered and couldn’t find a comfortable spot to rest. His eyes had lost their spark on Wednesday, but we had refused to see it until Saturday when they told us the rupture would likely happen in 24 to 48 hours and, when it did, it would more than double the pain he was in at that time.

We said our goodbyes at home and then we said the final goodbyes at a veterinarian’s office.

Our heart’s are broken. Our house is too quiet. We miss him.

A master at making me smile.

Parka was the best of friends. He was more like a brother than a pet or child. He was our kin and shared in everything with us. All he wanted was to be with us. He didn’t care about treats, games, toys, other dogs, or other people. We’re pretty sure he was a “catheist”, believing that cats didn’t actually exist because he would ignore them whenever they were in the vicinity. He simply and utterly wanted to be with us, to love us. He was a blessing beyond blessings.

Our lives were richer because he was in them. He made us better people–at least he did for me. Mike has always been an amazing person. For me, Parka taught acceptance, taught me not to be so much of a perfectionist. He taught me to relax more and live more in the moment. He taught me the importance of sitting quietly by a sunny window without access to email, phones, or television. He taught me the value of going on walks and sniffing the air. He helped me slow down and be happy with the happy family I had been blessed with.

This will likely be my last entry for the Parka Dog Blog. I can’t imagine continuing it at this point, although I guess something could come up that seems related to him–something unexpected but important. We’ll see. For now, all I know is that there is a huge wound centered right in the middle of my heart and I have to trust that it will get better because everyone tells me it will.

Buttons is ready for some fun at the PetSmart PetsWalk!

Every year PetSmart Charities hosts a PetsWalk and Adoption Event. This year my good friends at Mingus Manor Animal Sanctuary are putting together a team to go walk in the PetsWalk together in order to raise money for the sanctuary. Every penny of donations they receive goes to help those senior and special needs pups who wouldn’t have a chance otherwise. If you’re looking for something to do on February 20th with family, friends and pets, consider joining Team Mingus Manor for their walk that morning around Tempe Town Lake to help raise money for the dogs who call Mingus Manor home.

Below is more information about the Sanctuary and the event itself, along with links which will take you to the website where you can sign up to join them for a fun day.

Mingus Manor was started nearly two years ago by Karen Scherer who had a handful of old pugs and a pocketful of dreams for rescuing senior and special needs dogs and giving them a place to live out their natural lives. Below is a video that tells more about the organization than I could ever do justice:

The PetSmart Charities PetWalk and Adoption Event presented by Purina Pro Plan is a festival to celebrate the compassion we have for pets. Your participation will raise money for Mingus Manor Animal Sanctuary.

The event, which takes place on Sunday, February 20, 2011, at Tempe Town Lake, includes a small animal adoption event, 5K and 1 mile walks (bring your dogs or take one of the Sanctuary dogs that will be there to participate), as well as fun activities for children, adults, and pets.

JOIN MINGUS MANOR TEAM as a walker, virtual walker, or gift donor. The link below will take you to Mingus Manor – Join Team. After you go to the link, point your mouse on the two words “Join Team”. Click and it will take you to a form to fill in your information.

Karen Scherer is the Team Captain and the goal is to raise $5,000. At Mingus Manor 100% of your donations are used to care for the animals as we are a 100% volunteer-run non-profit organization.

We need your help so we can keep the Sanctuary running and keep the seniors and special needs animals we help alive.

Event Day Schedule:

• 9AM: Activities begin
• 10AM: 5K Walk begins
• 10:15AM: 1 Mile Walk begins
• 10:30AM: Adoption Event begins

So please mark your calendars for Sunday, February 20th. Click on the link below right now and join us for a great day!

As always, we truly appreciate all the support you have given us throughout the past. Please help us keep this facility alive!

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://pschar.convio.net/site/TR?px=1171576&pg=personal&fr_id=1090&et=NiHoPAKolhEOZLCZuv7Yaw..&s_tafld=2642

Click here to view the team page for Mingus Manor.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://pschar.convio.net/site/TR?team_id=2620&pg=team&fr_id=1090&et=vjBaUjmGA_bPmjBnLJUUrQ..&s_tafld=2642

Click here to view the company page for Mingus Manor Animal Sanctuary.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://pschar.convio.net/site/TR?company=Mingus+Manor+Animal+Sanctuary&pg=company&fr_id=1090&et=1KIUiCzmSavjkvbaN6aYeA..&s_tafld=2642

About PetSmart Charities®

Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues, and promote healthy relationships between people and pets. The largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities has provided $110 million in grants and programs benefiting animal welfare organizations and, through its in-store adoption program, helped save the lives of more than 4 million pets. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its Vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit or call 1-800-423-PETS.

Parka waiting by the back door.

We are touched by the number of people who ask how Parka is doing. Even non-dog-people ask because they know how important he is to us. I’ll admit, though, that in the past it’s been hard to know how to answer that question without sounding like a sad, broken record. Too often I forget that we’ve had him an additional two-plus years, far beyond what we might have had if we had not had access to an amazing emergency vet and a veterinary cardiologist who seems to work miracles. Instead, I have tended to focus on how much medicine he takes to keep congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension at bay; how he suffers from chronic pancreatitis and doesn’t want to eat; and how, recently, his bloodwork showed he has entered into chronic kidney failure. Those are big things. You know? Those are the things that will be his eventual undoing. So it is easy for my mind to hover around what I need to “fix” or to try to prepare myself for the inevitable rather than be thankful for what I have right now.

Recently, however, thanks to a thoughtful friend who asked about the little guy, I had the opportunity to imagine Parka’s seeking eyes looking deeply into mine and answer her question in a new way. We all know Parka is an old man and I am honest when I say he has good days and not-so-good days. The bad days always leave me feeling like someone punched me in the stomach, but the good days (which at this point, outweigh the bad ones) remind me how life is so rich with this fully alive, four-legged companion.

Most often I still see the puppy in him. How he rubs his mouth on the carpet after he eats his kibble. The importance he brings to sniffing every leaf of grass in the park. The joy he takes in rolling around on Mike’s side of the bed and then how he pops his head up with ears disheveled like a bad combover. The soft, quiet moments he allows me when I carry him around on one hip, cradled almost like a baby. Every moment is an extra reminder of the blessing he brings us and how, no matter how bad the day, it’s all worth it. Parka brings out my deepest compassion and my most heartfelt joy. This small life is so big and so very present.

In spite of the hard days, it is a wonder to look into those shiny brown eyes and see that spark. It is heartwarming to watch his chest rise and fall with each perfect breath (even when sometimes the breath is interrupted with a slight cough). It is worth every sacrifice to have him look me in the eyes and kiss my nose out of his own shining delight.

Will there be days ahead when we will fall into a heap on the floor and pull out our hair in an attempt to better understand what’s going on for our little guy? Absolutely. But at this moment in time, today, I am so thankful to have this opportunity for lots more snuggles, giggles, and smiles. In spite of all he deals with, I’m happy to say that right now, thankfully, the end seems so distant and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

This morning was a perfect day for a stroll in the park. Pup and I made our usual route past the houses, across the street, and into the leafy grass of the park behind our house. As usual, he enjoyed sniffing every blade of grass and every fallen leaf within reach. When he didn’t have his head down to sniff the earth, he was inhaling the scents brought in on the breezes blowing around us. Below are photos from our outing. They are some of my favorite photos to date.

Waiting for the scents to waft in.

Flirty breezes, how they seduce with their exotic scents and gentle tousles of fur.

Fragrances from the earth beckon.

It is sometimes best to get a good angle on a sniff prior to committing to it fully.

Ah, there's the stuff.

The sheer amount of goodness has worn me out. Anyone else ready for a nap?

Alright, then. I'm done. Put down the camera and carry me home.

Waiting on the tile.

He sits down with a decided sniff. His fur blends in the distance with the cream-colored tile behind him. All I see are the diamonds blazing from his dark eyes and the wiggle of his brown nose. He is disheveled. It is time for grooming. He looks out the window with curiosity and a twist of worry. And when it is time to “Go” he bounds to the door like a puppy and barks.

This is a moment in the life of my dog. He cannot be helped but to be loved.

Parka in the kitchen, waiting for something good.

Nobody ever said it was going to be easy. But nobody ever said it was going to be this hard either.

Parka is baffling us again with his refusal to take the lunchmeat-wrapped pill pieces we give him twice a day. It would make more sense if he also didn’t eat his kibble, but as I said in my last post, he waits for me to serve it up and then he inhales it. Can this be pancreatitis? I mean, if we were dealing with pancreatitis, wouldn’t he refuse to eat anything? I am at a loss.

I called his cardiologist last week to let them know the trouble we’ve been having. He recommended a blood test which revealed that Parka’s kidneys are slowly giving up. They’re not to critical stage yet, but his “numbers” are inching in the direction of failure. We have known all along that the amount of diuretics he takes not only serves to keep his lungs and body free from excess fluids, but they press heavily on his kidney function and wear them out faster. Could this be what is happening? Is this why he’s becoming even choosier about his “Scooby snacks”?

As I write this, my head feels like it’s going to explode. The mystery, the not-knowing how to best help, the constant guessing–it’s a heavy thing. I want so desperately to make good decisions, to make sure his quality of life continues, but it’s a struggle that wears me down to a frazzle.

Back when Parka first had his congestive heart failure episode, I looked in his eyes and knew that he wasn’t fully gone yet. I look in his eyes now and know the same. He’s not going anywhere yet. Will he tell me in his own way? Or will I have to guess? Or–nightmare upon nightmare–will we have to make a hard decision in spite of the look in his eyes? We’re not there yet (thank goodness), but when sitting restlessly with these mysteries, that question always comes up. Sometimes I think we don’t allow euthanasia for people because it would be too difficult a decision. But at least the people could potentially tell us something. All we’ve got with animals is a look in their eyes, their shift in energy, a subtle, inarticulate change and even then, when the time comes, you’re left with a niggling doubt.

This post is all over the map today, but that’s how I feel right now. Parka is so full of life in so many ways and I dream for him to keep living as long as he can with the same kind of vigor. But does it have to be so hard all the time?

Happy tummy = long walks.

We have a lot to celebrate this week. Parka has reached the two-year anniversary since his near-death experience with congestive heart failure and we have just passed the four-week mark since the last time he had a bout of pancreatitis! Fingers crossed, we’re dealing with a 12-year-old dog that is acting more like a puppy these days than a cranky old man.

The difference? A change in food!

We’ve been told that the fat content of food can affect a dog dealing with acute and/or chronic pancreatitis. What we didn’t factor in was that food allergies might also play a part in stimulating this inflammatory illness.

For Parka’s whole life he has been eating Eukanuba brand dog food. In the last six years or so, we’ve been giving him the Small Breed Weight Control variety. Either way, Parka never really liked his kibble. He would eat it when he got hungry, but he preferred to wait until the latter part of the day to eat, when he was starving. Never could I have imagined that his dog food might be causing his tummy to be upset.

Thing is, the first ingredient listed on Eukanuba’s Weight Control food is corn meal, a grain. I’ve been reading lately a lot about how dogs and grains don’t often mix very well. Margaret Schindler Conners points out in her article in The Bark magazine how veterinarians are starting to discover that a lot of dogs have allergies to certain proteins (such as beef) and grains. It seems some dogs do better overall on exotic high-proteins and grain-free diets.

“Some of the most common allergens for dogs are beef, chicken and grains, which are also the most common ingredients in commercial dog foods….”

That’s not to say if your dog is having tummy issues to go out and immediately start feeding your dog raw bison meat on the Raw Food Diet. It’s important to talk with a trusted veterinarian first.

What we did when Parka started having bi-monthly attacks of pancreatitis was evaluate exactly what he was eating. I had already ruled out the fat content of his kibble as being the culprit. Eukanuba Weight Control has no more than 12% crude fat, which, compared to their Small Breed Adult Maintenance formula is at least 6% less fat. Even then, that wasn’t enough. So I switched him to Natural Balance Brand, Reduced Calorie Formula, which boasts 6% minimum crude fat in its formula; that’s half of the amount of fat in the Eukanuba brand. Still, Parka hated it and he continued to have constipation, lack of appetite, and tummy upset. As it turns out, the first ingredient for Natural Balance is brown rice, a grain.

It wasn’t until I was chatting with Nikki Rogers of Pampered Paws Mobile Grooming that things clicked. She said one of her dogs had been having food allergies so they switched her to a grain-free food which focused more on exotic proteins. It turns out, her dog was allergic to beef and grains, so they went on to buy some of the exotic meat dog foods out there and it made a huge difference in the skin problems her dog had been having. For Parka, though, I knew beef wasn’t the problem, but I wasn’t so sure about grain. The two foods I had tried both had more grain in them than any other food product and he had bouts of pancreatitis when eating either one.

Wellness CORE Reduced Fat dog food gave me back my dog.

After a lengthy search for grain-free dog foods, I came across Wellness CORE Reduced Fat. Not one grain is listed in the ingredients (hence the “grain-free” advertising on the label) and, although the crude fat is a little higher than the Natural Balance at 10% max, everything I read about it suggested that it is easy on the tummy and good for keeping off the pounds (or ounces, in Parka’s case).

Four weeks later, I am happy to report that Parka is doing great on this food. Since making the switch, his pancreatitis has practically disappeared. He has a great appetite and, forgive me for going into the gory details, but his poops look so healthy! Before they were slimy and dark. Now they’ve got some heft to them, but they’re not hard, and they’re a medium-brown color. I know it’s gross to talk about such things, but this was often the only way I could predict whether or not we would need to break out the Pepcid AC.

If that weren’t enough, for the first time in his life, my finicky dog actually gets excited when it’s time to eat! He dances around like a little puppy and then races me to the food mat on the floor. He then proceeds to inhale every last bite and “bings” his plate with his toenail as if to say, “More please”!

Happiness is having the life restored to your beloved friend. Bliss is knowing that he is as happy to be alive as you are to have him. These days, we have a lot to be blissful about and it’s all thanks to modern medicine, our tenacity, and a bag full of grain-free dog food.

Parka still goes on walks in the park thanks to the medical professionals, his heart meds, and our TLC.

We are very lucky in the Phoenix Valley to have access to some of the best veterinary medical professionals in the country. I’ve already written of my respect and gratitude for Dr. Whit Church of Arizona Veterinary Specialists and for Kim MacCrone, the Vetek Chic on Wheels. Now I want to take a moment to share information about the drugs that keep Parka’s little heart beating at its best.

Please note: This information is not meant to diagnose your furry friend but to provide information that might be helpful as you make decisions and understand why the doctor prescribed something for him or her.

Lasix (Furosemide)

Lasix, generically known as furosemide, is a drug many people are familiar with because it is the same diuretic used to help humans with fluid build-up. It is used quite often for congestive heart failure where fluid builds up around the lungs or tummy, as well as in edema which is when other tissues in the body swell up with fluid.

Another brand name besides Lasix is Salix. According to the Veterinary Partner website, furosemide:

“…acts on the kidney to increase the body’s loss of water and assorted minerals and electrolytes (salt, potassium, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, hydrogen, and ammonium). …By definition, congestive heart failure involves fluid congestion or accumulation somewhere where there should not be excess fluids. This accumulation is usually in the belly or chest cavity or actually within the lung tissue (pulmonary edema). Furosemide causes an increase in urine production, thus shifting the equilibrium away from the accumulation of fluid in tissue.”

Parka takes his dosage of furosemide twice a day, sometimes three times a day if he has been particularly stressed. We have been told that it is important to keep an eye on how much he drinks and urinates each day. Taking a diuretic like furosemide (as well as some of the other medications he takes) increases his thirst and also increases his “output” so it is considered normal for him to drink and pee more. Because he also takes Enalapril with Lasix, along with some other diuretics and medications, Parka gets a blood test about every six months just to make sure his kidneys are still functioning okay. While his last test result showed a slight increase in creatinin levels, the doctor doesn’t feel they are high enough to merit changing his medication.

Enalapril

Enalapril is essentially given to regulate Parka’s blood pressure. When the heart has some issue, such as degenerative mitral valve disease, the heart no longer works efficiently. According to Diamondback Drugs, the pet pharmacy we use for various refills, Enalapril blocks a particular enzyme that causes blood vessels to constrict.

“By blocking this enzyme, the blood vessels can remain relaxed so the pet’s blood pressure can decrease to allow the blood and oxygen to flow to the heart more effectively. Enalapril also helps to reduce fluid build-up in the lungs.”

According to Dr. Church and one of the emergency vets we spoke with early on in Parka’s treatment, these two medications–Lasix and Enalapril–are the most important ones for him to get. It’s important for him to receive the other ones as well, but if I understood correctly, these two are the superstars for keeping his congestive heart failure at bay.

Spironolactone

The third drug on Parka’s list is spironolactone, a diuretic which inhibits a specific hormone released in the body in vast quantities during heart failure. One of the benefits of using spironolactone (which we simply call “spiro” in our house) is that it does not wash away potassium when it does its job with the kidneys. As a result, it is considered a little less harsh on the those bean-shaped organs. Still, it is not considered as efficient or overall beneficial as furosemide so it is used more as a “back-up” drug for Parka than one of his “superstar” drugs.

One of the things Dr. Church told us when he prescribed spiro is that he wanted to keep the Lasix prescription as low as he could so that, in case of an emergency down the road, he would be able to administer more of it without overwhelming Parka’s system. Using spiro provides some “wiggle room” for later potential emergencies because spiro works differently than furosemide and does not tax they body in the same way.

Even though they work differently, spiro and furosemide both work to regulate things in the kidneys. For that matter, so does Enalapril. As you can see, the kidneys play an important role in controlling Parka’s heart disease. Because so much focus is given to regulating what comes out of and goes into the kidneys we have been told that Parka may eventually have kidney trouble. In fact, Dr. Church speculated that because Parka is doing so well on the heart medication, he will likely not die of congestive heart failure but of kidney failure. This is the game we play as we try to give Parka a good quality of life and, knock on wood, so far it’s working.

Pimobendan (Vetmedin)

Pimobendan, known by its commercial name as Vetmedin, is a fairly new drug on the market, one which is apparently being embraced by veterinary cardiologists around the world for its ability to help the heart beat more efficiently. Dr. Church told me that one study showed dogs with degenerative valve disease (like Parka) lived an average nine months longer taking pimobendan in conjunction with other heart medications than dogs who only took the traditional heart meds such as the first three on this list. If it means anything, Parka had his first round of congestive heart failure about 22 months ago. It will be two years in August that we raced him to the emergency vet because he wasn’t breathing; two years since Dr. Church came close to recommending euthanasia. And although Parka has his ups and downs and shows his age now more than ever, he’s still truckin’. I can’t help but wonder how big a role pimobendan has played in this.

Dr. Mark Rishnew, ACVIM at VeterinaryPartner.com explains a little how it works:

“This drug differs from other heart medications because it helps the heart pump more efficiently. It opens up the blood vessels that take blood both to and from the heart so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard. It also helps lessen pressure on the heart.”

However it works, it seems to be doing a great job keeping my little guy’s ticker going. I will say this is the most difficult drug to administer, though. The fine people at the manufacturing company have added some sort of flavoring to it, to try to make it more appealing to dogs. It is a chewable tablet. But Parka puts his nose up to pimobendan more than any other drug that he takes. I spoke with Dr. Church and his veterinary technician, Dina, and both said the same thing — dogs don’t like the smell of it. We all wished the makers of Vetmedin would create a tablet without the flavoring. We love the effects of the drug but it would be nice if it was easier to give!

So, that’s it. Parka also takes Theophylline which is a bronchodilator, but that’s to help deal with bronchitis.

Parka waits in the kitchen for his "Scooby Snacks".

As I’ve mentioned in previous postings, we hide Parka’s medicine in rolled up slivers of lunch meat. Think of a medicine burrito and you’ve got a good image of how I give him his pills. Each half of a pill gets rolled tightly into a tiny strip of meat. I offer him a pinch of meat without medicine, then give the pill burrito, then another pinch without a pill. If the pill is too big to give all at once, I cut it into smaller pieces. The pimobendan is actually fairly large, so I cut it in quarters. My husband cuts it into eighths because he feels like it makes it a little easier to give in smaller pieces.

Although lunch meat might not be the healthiest route to go, it works. We don’t know how much longer we have with Parka so now it’s not so much about doing everything by the book but doing everything in a way to make life easier on Parka (and on us, for that matter). The lunch meat we buy is always 98% fat free to help cut down on incidences with pancreatitis.

As I said, we have been lucky to have access to such great veterinary professionals in our area. My hope is that, no matter where you live, perhaps this article can help you discuss options with your own doctor if your dog is suffering from degenerative mitral valve disease like Parka.

Parka's lookin' good!

It has been a week since I spent most of the day at the vet’s office waiting to find out why Parka wasn’t eating. Turns out he had pancreatitis. It should be noted that he did not have some of the more familiar symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. If you read the last post, you know he had just basically stopped eating and was lethargic to the point that I was questioning if he was giving up. The doctors discovered that he was suffering from “textbook” pancreatitis when they did an ultrasound on his tummy and saw that his pancreas was overly inflamed.

Parka does not give up easily and, for this, I am happy. But I am also happy to share that he is doing so much better! Once we discovered he had pancreatitis, the doctor prescribed no food for two days, except to take two pills: Lasix and Pepcid AC, which he did twice a day. After two days, we fed him boiled chicken and pasta for another day and a half. In the last two days, he has been back on his regular kibble diet, along with all his regular medications. In that one week, he went from not eating much of anything to eating more voraciously than I have seen him do in a long, long time! In fact, a part of me wonders where this new dog came from because he has never been a food-motivated dog. Today, though, he followed me around, eager for his plate of kibble to be placed on his food mat before he heartily consumed every last morsel.

It’s good to have him back. Although his energy is still not what it used to be, he remains sparkly and full of life. The picture posted above was taken as I was writing this article. When I look at his face, I see a thoughtful curiosity and a wish to be understood. Makes me wish I spoke “dog” better.