On December 29, 2004 at 10:00 AM we said goodbye to Willie; a four year old Greyhound that had Congenital Tricuspid Dysplaisia, a hole in his mytral valve, and a Sinus Arrythmia. Even through his severe heart conditions he possessed a very sweet personality and was a very gentle boy. He will be greatly missed by his foster parents, all the members of Rescued Racers, his foster grandparents and, numerous others who's hearts he touched.
At the age of two, Willie was diagnosed with Congenital Dialated Cardiomyopathy, and was put on Enalapril. The foster mom, with whom he was placed, fell in love with him and wanted to adopt him. We waived the adoption fees with the condition that he stay on his medication. The foster mom agreed to do so.
After being in his home for a year and half, Willie came back to us in August of 2004. In the vet check upon his return, we found that his heart had significantly increased in size and that his case was now considered terminal. We wanted to provide Willie with the very best of vet care and began looking for his vet records for the past year and half. We contacted the lady that had him and she gave us the name and number of the vet he supposedly went to. She also stated that he showed no signs of heart failure. We called them only to find that they had no records on Willie. We called the lady back and asked where she had his prescriptions filled. She gave us the name and number of the pharmacy that she had used; they also had no records under Willie or the lady. We again asked both the pharmacy and the vet look in their prescription records. They still could not find any records on Willie or under the lady. We immediately started Willie back on the Enalapril for his heart. We also began looking for a foster who was willing to take on a terminal pup.
In mid September our prayers were answered. A woman, who had some medical training volunteered to foster Willie. We informed her of Willie's condition and she still agreed to take him, stating she understood and still wanted to provide him a home. We met in person and introduced her family to Willie. It was a perfect match; Willie took to them as quickly as they took to him. A few days later we received a call from his new foster mom demanding a buddy for Willie. She explained that Willie suffered from severe seperation anxiety and needed a buddy as soon as we had one available. She also informed us that Willie was showing clear signs of heart trouble. Upon acquiring a buddy, Willie settled down immediately. His foster parents spoiled him as much as they were able; allowing him to get on the furniture, sleep in the bed, and finding him special treats that would not aggravate his condition.
Over the course of the next month, Willie was taken to numerous vet appointments to ensure that he was as healthy as he could be. Every vet who saw him was surprised that he was still alive; none of them gave him very long to live. In each case, they stated that if he had remained medicated for the entire year and a half he was in his previous home, he would have had longer to live. They put him on Lasix and Lanoxin in addition to the Enalapril to aid his heart. These drugs, while they aided his heart, unfortunately made Willie very ill. He was not a happy boy. As a result of many vet consultations and collaborations, the foster mom was advised to make an appointment to have him see a cardiologist. She made the appointment and drove the two hours to have him seen. The cardiologist ran a variety of tests and came back with a different diagnosis. She determined that he had Congenital Tricuspid Dysplasia rather than Congenital Dialated Cardiomyopathy. He also had a hole in his mytral valve, and a Sinus arrythmia which led to the original misdiagnosis. However, the change in the diagnosis did not change his long term prognosis; he was still given a short time to live. The cardiologist also didn't think that he needed to be on constant medication at that time. The foster mom did as suggested and only administered the medicine when his symptoms appeared.
Throughout the turmoil, Willie was an angel. He was still playing, eating, and seemed to be a very happy boy. He was enjoying life as a pampered pet and really enjoyed his buddy Tommy and his humans. They went out of their way to increase his quality of life, and ease his discomfort.
In the middle of December, Willie became increasingly uncomfortable and visibly agitated. His foster mom, with permission of Rescued Racers, sought out a holistic vet; it was the only option as yet unexplored and his medication from the traditional vets had made him very ill. This vet was able to give answers that made sense to questions where so many others had failed. He informed us that in addition to his heart troubles, Willie also had cardiac asthma. The foster mom was given some Chinese medicinal herbs to try with Willie. Two days after giving him these herbs, the she reported that Willie was much more comfortable and very active; she had seen a definite improvement.
The foster parents then prepared to spend the holidays back home in Ohio. Because of his condition and his need for a buddy, they took both Willie and Tommy along. The dogs were able to enjoy a large fenced in backyard to run and play in. However, on Christmas Eve, Willie collapsed in the backyard while walking into the house. The foster mom took all precautions and made him very comfortable. Upon returning home, on the 28th of December, they again took him to the vet. There they were faced with a very grim reality. Willie had begun to back fluid into his lungs and his abdomen. He was made comfortable for the night and sent home. His foster mom called the director and had her make his final arrangements for the following morning. Willie was pampered that evening, he was fed cheeseburgers, ice cream, and anything that he wanted. Willie also played a bit, something that he had not done in a week.
When the next morning came, everyone said their goodbyes and Willie made his last vet trip. Upon arriving he gladly greeted the director with a wagging tail. However, it was easy to see that he was very tired. He was taken back to the room, and where he laid down on his blanket. There he was given a sedative. Willie calmly faced his darkest hour surrounded by those who loved him. Many tears have been shed and many hearts have been broken by the passing of this angel in dogs clothing. He will be forever remembered in the hearts of those who knew him.