Hi Everyone,
Firstly I have been reading a few threads over the last couple of days before I wrote this and have to say, I haven’t made it through a single one without crying. Partly because I can relate to what I am reading and partly because I know it’s what is yet to come for me and my Doberman Marley. :’(
Marley is the first Doberman I have owned and I have been waking up to her cute little face since she was 12 weeks old, she turned 7 in September 2015. Although you wouldn’t think it to look at her, people are always commenting on how they thought she was a puppy, a very big puppy! She is from a breeder in Wrexham and her breeding is Drelincourts lines, just incase anybody happens to be familiar.
On the 23rd October 2015 just 3 days after my birthday, me and my boyfriend were all tucked up for the night eating our tea when we noticed Marley wasn’t quite herself. She wasn’t watching us for any scraps of food we may drop or be so kind to offer her, which wasn’t like her at all as eating is probably her favourite thing to do! Around 11pm she was lying on the floor and we noticed she was being quite unresponsive and was drooling quite a lot, then as she tried to get up, she fell over. I was worried about her and wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. (I had never heard of DCM before she was diagnosed) I gave her a quick check over myself and noticed that her heart was being extremely fast, I wouldn’t have expected it to be beating this fast if she had just been for a run, let alone snoozing on the carpet. I called the vets and took her in to see the emergency vet on call.
They took a look at her, and listened to her heart and told me she needed to stay in. I left quite upset and waited to hear from them the next morning.
It was a Friday morning and I was in work when the vet called, she basically told me I needed to come and collect Marley as she needed to travel to leahurst vet hospital to be seen by the cardiologist that day. I was a complete mess at this point and could barely get the words out to my boss to tell them I had to leave. Luckily they were brilliant and I took the rest of the day off to care for Marley.
We got her to the cardiologist who was brilliant, we were they for most of the day, Marley was a star and so well behaved through all of the test she had done and everyone loved her. When we finally spoke to the cardiologist they explained everything to us, it was and still is, one of the worst days of my life.
Marley was diagnosed with DCM and a severe malignant arrhythmia, her ECG results from the night we took her in were one of the worst the vet had ever seen and she told us honestly that it was a miracle Marley didn’t pass away that night. The ECG showed her heart rate at 370bpm. I can’t believe how close we actually came to losing her that night, and if for some reason we hadn’t of taken her to the vets I am pretty certain we she wouldn’t have got up to great us the next morning. So far she is showing no signs of heart failure and her results from the her last 24 hour monitor were better than the first time. Her heart is slightly enlarged and is showing signs of damage. Her blood work all came back normal which is a good sign.
She has always been an extremely fit an active dog and right up until the week she was diagnosed she was running 7-8 miles most days with me alongside my bike, just as she has done from about 3 years old. I think the fact that she was so very fit may have been in her favour that night and part of why she is still with us today. It was one of her favourite things and I feel so unbelievably cruel that she is no longer able to come with me.
Since her diagnosis, nearly 5 months ago, she has been on Vetmedin (pimobendan), Sotalol and Fortekor and this has so far been able to allow her to live a normal life. We had 1 scare on 26th January when Marley was in the garden playing with our other dog when she started to drool and become unsteady on her feet. I thought I was losing her there and then and I was so scared. But it only lasted probably under a minute and she was back to herself and her heart had slowed down. She went to the vet that day who despite the scare was happy with how she was doing. That was the last time she showed any sign and to look at her now and on a day to day basis you wouldn’t have any clue she was dying :’(
Both our dogs were family pets growing up and I took them with my when me and my boyfriend moved into our own home in 2014, we are all overwhelmingly sad for her, she is such a joy and is honestly the most loving, intelligent and comical dog I have ever owned and I will miss her enormously.
I know there are some people on here who are going through or have been through this and so you may be able to better answer the one thing I want to know, but no vet can tell me. I know that when the time comes for her to pass on, whichever way it happens it is going to be unbearable for me. BUT, I want the quickest and most comfortable ending for her as possible. She is currently showing no signs of heart failure, if/when she does I am assuming I will know when she has had enough and when the right time is. If sudden death is to be her ending, I wondered if anybody who has experienced it directly can tell me just how sudden it actually is for the dog?
Sorry this was so long and thanks to anyone who actually reads it all and replies! I will be sure to add some photos of her shortly
Firstly I have been reading a few threads over the last couple of days before I wrote this and have to say, I haven’t made it through a single one without crying. Partly because I can relate to what I am reading and partly because I know it’s what is yet to come for me and my Doberman Marley. :’(
Marley is the first Doberman I have owned and I have been waking up to her cute little face since she was 12 weeks old, she turned 7 in September 2015. Although you wouldn’t think it to look at her, people are always commenting on how they thought she was a puppy, a very big puppy! She is from a breeder in Wrexham and her breeding is Drelincourts lines, just incase anybody happens to be familiar.
On the 23rd October 2015 just 3 days after my birthday, me and my boyfriend were all tucked up for the night eating our tea when we noticed Marley wasn’t quite herself. She wasn’t watching us for any scraps of food we may drop or be so kind to offer her, which wasn’t like her at all as eating is probably her favourite thing to do! Around 11pm she was lying on the floor and we noticed she was being quite unresponsive and was drooling quite a lot, then as she tried to get up, she fell over. I was worried about her and wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. (I had never heard of DCM before she was diagnosed) I gave her a quick check over myself and noticed that her heart was being extremely fast, I wouldn’t have expected it to be beating this fast if she had just been for a run, let alone snoozing on the carpet. I called the vets and took her in to see the emergency vet on call.
They took a look at her, and listened to her heart and told me she needed to stay in. I left quite upset and waited to hear from them the next morning.
It was a Friday morning and I was in work when the vet called, she basically told me I needed to come and collect Marley as she needed to travel to leahurst vet hospital to be seen by the cardiologist that day. I was a complete mess at this point and could barely get the words out to my boss to tell them I had to leave. Luckily they were brilliant and I took the rest of the day off to care for Marley.
We got her to the cardiologist who was brilliant, we were they for most of the day, Marley was a star and so well behaved through all of the test she had done and everyone loved her. When we finally spoke to the cardiologist they explained everything to us, it was and still is, one of the worst days of my life.
Marley was diagnosed with DCM and a severe malignant arrhythmia, her ECG results from the night we took her in were one of the worst the vet had ever seen and she told us honestly that it was a miracle Marley didn’t pass away that night. The ECG showed her heart rate at 370bpm. I can’t believe how close we actually came to losing her that night, and if for some reason we hadn’t of taken her to the vets I am pretty certain we she wouldn’t have got up to great us the next morning. So far she is showing no signs of heart failure and her results from the her last 24 hour monitor were better than the first time. Her heart is slightly enlarged and is showing signs of damage. Her blood work all came back normal which is a good sign.
She has always been an extremely fit an active dog and right up until the week she was diagnosed she was running 7-8 miles most days with me alongside my bike, just as she has done from about 3 years old. I think the fact that she was so very fit may have been in her favour that night and part of why she is still with us today. It was one of her favourite things and I feel so unbelievably cruel that she is no longer able to come with me.
Since her diagnosis, nearly 5 months ago, she has been on Vetmedin (pimobendan), Sotalol and Fortekor and this has so far been able to allow her to live a normal life. We had 1 scare on 26th January when Marley was in the garden playing with our other dog when she started to drool and become unsteady on her feet. I thought I was losing her there and then and I was so scared. But it only lasted probably under a minute and she was back to herself and her heart had slowed down. She went to the vet that day who despite the scare was happy with how she was doing. That was the last time she showed any sign and to look at her now and on a day to day basis you wouldn’t have any clue she was dying :’(
Both our dogs were family pets growing up and I took them with my when me and my boyfriend moved into our own home in 2014, we are all overwhelmingly sad for her, she is such a joy and is honestly the most loving, intelligent and comical dog I have ever owned and I will miss her enormously.
I know there are some people on here who are going through or have been through this and so you may be able to better answer the one thing I want to know, but no vet can tell me. I know that when the time comes for her to pass on, whichever way it happens it is going to be unbearable for me. BUT, I want the quickest and most comfortable ending for her as possible. She is currently showing no signs of heart failure, if/when she does I am assuming I will know when she has had enough and when the right time is. If sudden death is to be her ending, I wondered if anybody who has experienced it directly can tell me just how sudden it actually is for the dog?
Sorry this was so long and thanks to anyone who actually reads it all and replies! I will be sure to add some photos of her shortly