Joey !
 

Joey's Story
by foster mom, Kerri-Lynne

When I first met Joey he was a very scared, confused, and sick dog.  Gail (President of Big Heart Rescue) and her brother delivered him to my place in Nanaimo from Chilliwack Animal Control.  Chilliwack Animal Control is overflowing with abandoned and neglected dogs that need homes.  Joey was different in that not only was he abandoned and neglected but he was very sick.  Chilliwack Animal Control picked him up after finding him entangled in a farmer’s fence with his loyal brother and friend waiting beside him.  Both dogs were very ill and emaciated.   It was suspected they had eaten something toxic and both were sent for veterinary care.  Joey’s brother succumbed to the illness but after 3 weeks of fighting, Joey was ready to leave the vets.  This is where Big Heart Rescue stepped in and took him under their wing and after an extensive home check, approved me as a perfect match to be Joey’s foster home.

Upon his arrival to my place, I met an emaciated and scared dog.  Joey is a black retriever type dog and his waist was approximately 4” wide when looking down on his topline.  His ribs and hips jutted under his skin.  His tail was permanently tucked tight between his legs and his gait was abnormal in that he hopped with his back legs together when he moved.  He was missing patches of fur on his face and there was an awful smell of necrotizing tissue emanating from his body.  He was brought into my house where he immediately found my bedroom and the dog bed beside our bed and an exhausted and sick Joey slept for a week straight in between a visit to the vets, eating and drinking, receiving medication, and pee/poo breaks.

Upon his visit to the vets and after numerous tests, it was determined that Joey has an autoimmune disorder which was causing a major skin infection.  He smelled so bad that the vet had to turn the fan on and open the door of the small examining room.

He was placed on prednisone and antibiotics.  As if this wasn’t enough, Joey had a Grade VI heart murmur which is the highest level of heart murmur and was an obvious indication that something was very wrong with his heart. His prognosis was looking grim.  Big Heart Rescue assured me that they would do whatever they could to help Joey as long as he had quality of life.  His hips and legs were X-rayed and manipulated due to his abnormal gait.  Nothing wrong could be found with the bones or joints and there was no pain with manipulation (in fact he was very flexible) so it was concluded that his abnormal neuromuscular functioning could have been caused from an old injury (he had been beaten) or from his autoimmune disorder. 

After a couple of days of prednisone and antibiotics, Joey started to perk up and feel much better.  He was eager to get-up from his dog bed and come outside.  He started to initiate play with my 2 dogs and was interested in exploring the yard.   He also started to take an interest in the multitude of dog toys available to him.  In fact, he was very possessive of the toys and would growl and snarl if my dogs came within 10 feet of him and his toys.  He was also very possessive of his food dish and I would have to remember to put it away when my dogs were around.  Thankfully, my dogs are very accommodating and kept a wide berth from Joey and his items. 

Feeding Joey was always and interesting experience.  He could down a bowl of dogfood faster than any dog I have ever seen.  However, when he realized that food came regularly and more than he could eat, he slowed down.  I made sure that he wasn’t getting any gastrointestinal upset during this time and he quickly gained 12 pounds in about 3 weeks.  He is now 24 pounds heavier than when I got him and is at a healthy weight at around 70 pounds.  Even though he knows food is regular, he will still quickly eat the remains of the other dogs’ food even if he still has some of his own left.   However, he has calmed down with his toys and actually plays tug-of-war with the other dogs.

Due to the gravity of his heart murmur, Joey was referred to Dr, Mason, a veterinary internist, who ultra sounded his heart and diagnosed him with PDA or patent ductus arteriosis.  This is where a duct between the pulmonary artery and aorta didn’t shut as it was supposed to when he was born.  It results in decreased cardiac output to his body and if left untreated, Joey would quickly develop congestive heart failure and die.   It was concluded that Joey needed heart surgery!  Optimally, this procedure is conducted when the patient is a baby and has a high success rate however, due to Joey being around 1 year old, it was high risk and Dr. Mason needed to consult with veterinary surgeons to see if the surgery was even possible at this age.

It was great news the day that Dr Sukhiani, a veterinary surgeon, decided that this surgery could be conducted, even though it was high risk.  The date was set for May 2.  I tried not to think about the risks associated with this surgery.  The night before the surgery, Dr. Sukhiani phoned me to discuss the risks and options that he had previously discussed with Gail (BHR president).  I fully agreed with all the options that Gail had chosen for this risky surgery. 

Driving Joey into Victoria for his surgery was very emotional.  I met Jenn (BHR vice-president), at a coffee shop in Cobble Hill and then she drove ahead of me to the vet clinic.  I allowed Joey to sit in the front seat of the truck on the drive so I could shower him with love and affection for what might be my last hour and a half with him.  I wanted him to feel secure and loved should he not come out of surgery.  I broke down a few times on the drive thinking that I may never see him again however; I tried to stay positive as I didn’t want him to feel any of my emotional pain.   At the clinic, both Jenn and I told him what a great dog he was and then left quickly so it wouldn’t be an agonizing departure for both us and Joey.  Outside the clinic, Jenn gave me a teary hug and we both quickly walked to the privacy of our vehicles.  As soon as I pulled out of the clinic I was a sobbing mess.  I tried not to think of Dr. Sukhiani explaining how close his scalpel would be to the pulmonary artery and how just a little nick while removing the scar tissue could cause Joey to bleed out and die on the operating table before anything could be done about it.  As soon as I got myself together, I phoned my husband, my brother, and my parents to ask them to think “positive thoughts” for Joey during this critical time.

For the next 6 hours I tried to keep myself occupied.  I phoned the vet clinic several times to find out results but the first few times I phoned Joey wasn’t in surgery yet.  I knew the surgery would take 2-3 hours so I calculated when Dr. Sukhiani would arrive for the surgery and when he would be done.  One of the last times I called, Joey was in surgery being sutured up and the surgery had gone well!  He was alive!!!!   I was so relieved that I immediately phoned Jenn who had also found out the good news due to her many phone calls to the clinic!  I must say the receptionist at the clinic was very good natured with us pestering her about Joey’s welfare.

That night, Dr. Sukhiani phoned me to tell me details of the surgery.  He said there was good news and bad news.  The good news was that the surgery had gone as planned and was successful.  The bad news was that Joey’s pulmonary artery was distended and this was still causing a murmur and that he should see the internist for a follow-up ultra sound.  He couldn’t give me a prognosis on what this would mean for Joey, but I was so relieved that Joey was alive that the pulmonary artery problem seemed minor to me!  It was possible that the artery might correct itself due to the ease in pressure.  One day at a time!  Joey was coming home to recuperate.

I picked up Joey the next afternoon.  He was sore but walking and gave me a look like I did this to him.  I wanted to explain that this surgery was necessary for his life but I couldn’t, so instead I tried to make him as comfortable as possible during the ride home.  He was exhausted but managed to give me a kiss.

Day 2 after surgery Joey is acting like nothing happened.  He is eager to get the hell out of the house and go looking for some action!  It was a beautiful day so I put him on a lead and took him outside while I planted some hanging baskets.  Once he realized he wasn’t going anywhere and that I wasn’t allowing him to strike up play with the other dogs, he rested in the grass and enjoyed the sunshine.  The rest of his recuperation was uneventful and amazingly quick.  It is now three-and-a-half weeks after surgery and Joey is well and back to his usual antics!  He still needs to get an ultrasound of his pulmonary artery, but I am optimistic that everything will be fine.

About two weeks ago, Gail told me that a very good inquiry from someone wanting to adopt Joey had come in.   It was time for me to make the final decision.  Was I going to be a fostering failure or not?  I thought about Joey and all the obstacles he had overcome. 

He came from the brink of death and a life of abuse and neglect to one filled with play, love, and family.  He fit into our household and provided us with a lot of laughter with his puppy playfulness and exuberance.  I thought about how his health and confidence levels had grown in only the short 3 months I fostered him and how he ran around like there was no problem with his hind legs hopping like a bunny.  He was deliriously happy here and I couldn’t let him go.  I didn’t want to throw another hurdle at him and I didn’t want to heal a broken heart by letting him go.  So, I adopted Joey!

No doubt there will be other obstacles that Joey and I will have to hurdle during our life together, but Joey has shown me his fighting spirit, resilience, and joy for life.  I will honour his spirit by providing him with a life filled with love, care, and friendship.

Joey and I are both grateful to Big Heart Rescue for going above and beyond in order to help dogs in need.

A Tribute to Joey
Spring 2006 - December 2007

Joey had such an impact on my life that it has taken me 10 months to heal enough to write about him.  He was with me for just under 2 years of his short life but his presence and sincere joy for life will remain with me and my family forever. 

Joey’s heart was just too big for this world and his will to live couldn’t keep his sick heart from failing.   Approximately a year and five months after his heart operation, Joey developed congestive heart failure and we were able to keep him comfortable with medication.  However, there came a time when medications just couldn’t help.

Joey was having trouble breathing when lying down to sleep at night due to fluid build-up and pressure in the lungs from an enlarged heart.  I spent a few sleepless nights trying to prop him up so he could sleep in a sitting position but to no avail.  Joey was distressed, wasn’t eating and his tired body just couldn’t hold on any longer.

With a very heavy heart I made a phone call to the vet.  I asked if there were any other medications we could try or anything else I could do to improve the quality of his life.  The answer was grave.  I made an appointment for the vet to come to my place so Joey could pass as comfortably as possible.

That last day was bittersweet.   I wanted to burn his expressions, his smell, and his soul into my brain and heart so I would never forget any part of him.  We spent the day watching cartoons (Joey loved cartoons) and cuddling.  I tried to make this day happy and loving.  In the afternoon, Joey wanted to go outside.  As he walked toward the lawn, an eagle swooped directly above him.  The eagle was a sign of Joey’s impending freedom from his sick body.  Typical of Joey and the strength of his mind, he forgot about his sick body for one last time and chased the eagle across the yard.  He was a fighter to the end!

We all miss you very much Joey.  You will always be loved.

Contact Big Heart Rescue for more information.

www.bigheartrescue.com